That's What I Like Best About You
by Luv 2 Write Romance
Summary: She's never felt accepted and he feels misunderstood. They were sure nothing could change. Long story short... their families don't get them. But when the unlikely pair meet and befriend each other they find that everything will change. JojoxOC
1. Chapter 1

Clarissa Louisa Francesca Amelia Angela Isabella Chrissell sat on the roof of her home overlooking all of Whoville sighing to herself. Her parent was away on a business trip on the other side of Whoville where she'd be staying for the remainder of the week. Downstairs she heard the pounding music of a party her eight older brothers were throwing on account of mom being away and they were abusing the privilege. She absolutely hated her mom being away which was practically all the time, but even when her mom was at home she was too busy to actually pay attention and she was stuck in the care of her irresponsible brothers. If she would actually stop working to pay attention she'd never let her brothers be in charge. This was what Clarissa constantly thought.

Clarissa cringed at the sound of something being broken downstairs. She'd be sure to make a lot of loud noises tomorrow as she got ready for Whoville High tomorrow just to torture her brothers for the massive hangover they were going to have tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow was her first day of high school, and she wasn't looking forward to it. High school with your brothers wasn't exactly her idea of fun. She was sure at that moment no one could possibly relate to her situation of having many fairly obnoxious siblings. She was wrong. In fact there was one who out there who could relate. He could more than relate. He had ninety-six sisters, but to him that wasn't his only problem. He had to become mayor when he got older. What's wrong with this you ask? He wanted more than just being mayor. He loved music and wanted to be a musician, and he wanted let a sister of his take over as mayor. But he also didn't want to disappoint his dad, so he never said anything about not wanting to be mayor. He was silent, and never said a word to his dad or anyone else. Well… that's not entirely true. He helped save Whoville by yelling "Don't!" out to a much larger world that existed outside of theirs and a few words to Horton the elephant, but that was all he said. But tomorrow he'd be saying a lot more words to answer questions the teachers asked him. He too would be attending Whoville High. He was Jojo Mcdodd.

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Jojo climbed up the steps of the bus heading to Whoville High and sighed. The year was going to go by so slowly especially with nothing to look forward to except the observatory. Every night he went up to the old abandon observatory to make music using common household items that no one in his home wanted. It was the only place he was happy and actually smiled. His only other expression was a blank stare. He had no friends to make smile him at any other time.

Clarissa looked at herself in the mirror a brushed her navy blue hair which she chose not to fashion in any kind of hair style and let it hang loosely like a curtain over her shoulders and looked down at the rest of her slightly lighter than her hair blue fur. She had to lift her bangs to do so, for they always drifted in front of her eyes. Don't get me wrong she could make out shapes and figures through her hair but she couldn't see details. Truthfully, she was indifferent as far as her looks were concerned, but she didn't have any friends and this might actually be a good way to start. She doubted she'd make any though. She was very shy around people she didn't know well. She trudged down the stairs to where upon her discovery there was no more cereal or milk left because her brothers had eaten it all and left for the bus stop without her to catch up with some of their friends. Clarissa's dark purple eyes glazed over as she walked down the sidewalk to the bus stop, and was brought out of her daze by the chatter of other whos going to school. Clarissa stood apart from them off to the side feeling like she was already an outcast.

"Hey Clarissa! Come over here for a second," the oldest of her brothers called. She reluctantly trudged over.

"Yes," she mumbled looking down at her feet with her shoulders slumped.

"She's not much to work with," said a girl who was standing next to Clarissa's oldest brother, Christian. Just what was that supposed to mean?

"So can you fix her?" Clarissa's second oldest brother, Chris, asked. Fix what?

"Her fur is in good condition. I'll give her that much. It's sleek and silky, but that slouch has got to go, and her bangs need to be brushed aside or brushed back. I mean look at her. You can't even see her eyes. Listen," this time she was addressing Clarissa, "You need my help so sit with me at lunch, and I'll go over a few things you need to know about the social status, who not be seen with, and basic makeover tips. Soon you'll be popular enough to hang out with me, Harriet." I glared at Harriet. I knew her for three minutes and already I hated her. No one changes me but me.

"No thanks," I said stepping up to the curb and away from the rest of the students.

Jojo continued to stare at the window as the bus pulled up to the next neighborhood. His chocolate brown eyes landed on a single navy blue who as she was getting ready to get on the bus was pushed to the ground by an older boy shoving past her and getting a smug smile from one bright pink who in particular. The girl picked herself up off the ground, brushed herself off, picked up her book bag, and got on the bus.

Seeing that all the seats on the bus but one were full Clarissa had no other option than to sit beside a black and white striped who. He stared out the window and didn't acknowledge her except to make a little room on the bus seat for her. Clarissa set her bag on the floor. She pulled her knees up to her chest, rested her head on her knees, and stared blankly ahead of her. She wasn't looking at anything. She just zoned out until the bus lurched to a stop in front of the school.

Clarissa stumbled ungracefully off of the bus and into the school to face whatever it had in store for her. Already a small circle of female whos, including the bright pink one, were gossiping, snickering, and pointing in her direction. She rolled her eyes at them, not that they'd be able to see on account of her bangs getting in the way.

Jojo immediately hated gym class. It was just an excuse for the jocks to knock him around without getting in trouble by acting like they were playing rough. He especially hated dodge ball. He seemed to be the main target for everyone. He had great reflexes so dodging most of the balls that came flying at him was no problem, but like anyone and everyone we all get tired at one point and can no longer work at our top performance. Long story short, he was hit a few times. Thankfully all were above the waist and none to the face.

Clarissa hated two things. The first one, as you already know, was Harriet. The second was Harriet's mother and Clarissa's new math teacher Ms. Herbert. Harriet wore an evilly smug smirk which remained cast in Clarissa's direction as she was called on repeatedly to answer questions. Math was never Clarissa's best subject. Ms. Herbert always got a kick out of watching her students squirm, and Clarissa squirmed more than any of them and had a special type of torture from Ms. Herbert. All Clarissa knew was that by the end of class in the eyes of her classmates she looked as much like the idiot she felt she was.

Jojo scowled at the floor as he walked out of his science class. He hated everyone in his science class. The science teacher stuttered and spluttered and was intimidated by the smallest things so he let everything that was wrong slide, which meant several paper balls and paper airplanes were thrown at his head. He could care less about the groups of gossiping girls in the back of the classroom it was when the boys bothered him and disturbed him by throwing things at him that he became beyond annoyed. He wasn't paying attention to where he was going and crashed into someone and was knocked to the ground. The sound of an "oof" told him that whoever he bumped into fell also. He looked up and saw that it was the girl from earlier headed to her next class before he crashed into her.

"S-sorry," she said before quickly gathering her things and standing. She looked down at him and stretched out her hand to help him up, the first kindness he'd received all day. Jojo took the hand and she pulled him up to his feet before walking off in the direction of her next class. Jojo looked back at the girl, shrugged, and brushed himself off. He continued down the hallway only this time watching where he was going.

Clarissa struggled to stay awake during whostory class. The teacher's deadpan, monotone voice droned on and on and on about early Whoville, slowly numbing her brain. "_And I have to put up with this for the next four years?"_ Clarissa thought to herself despairingly. It was only the first day. Perhaps she'd make some friends? She didn't think so, seeing as how she'd already upset the queen bee of the school. But did she care? No, she didn't in the least care. If no one liked her the way she was then that was just that. She'd find someone who did like her the way she was, or go on alone, same as always.

What was only forty-five minutes later felt like hours to Clarissa who'd managed not to fall asleep, and she'd nearly jumped out of her chair as the sound of the school bell frightened her, awakening her numbed mind and alerting her to everything surrounding her.

Jojo sat at a table by himself while people clustered together in groups as separate and mixed cliques. He let out a long, frustrated sigh and looked around the cafeteria through bored, half-lidded eyes. Maybe something interesting would happen? His eyes landed on the girl he'd knocked down and had watched be pushed down. Her head was turned towards the Populars' table. Their leader, the bright pink who from that morning, was looking down her nose at her but was also looking at her expectantly as if asking her to join them and maybe her attitude towards the girl would improve. But the girl merely turned and headed toward the table he was sitting at. Jojo raised an eyebrow, quite interested in why she'd given up her chance to be popular to sit someone who obviously had no social life. She sat across from him setting a tray with who-fries and ketchup in front of her. She appeared to be looking down at her food he couldn't see past her bangs. Her head lifted a little and Jojo was sure she was now looking at him.

"Hey," she said quietly. Jojo merely nodded. Her head cocked to the side a little bit. She wasn't sure if he couldn't talk or just… didn't.

"Do you talk?" He shook his head. "_Can_ you?" Jojo nodded. A loud obnoxious laugh carried across the cafeteria. Clarissa turned see the Populars smirking at her. Or was it Jojo? Perhaps they laughing and smirking at both?

"I'm Clarissa, and you're the first non-jerk I've met." The corner of Jojo's mouth twitched as he tried to fight a small smile. "You got a name?" Clarissa asked letting the small smile forming on her lips form freely.

"Jojo."

"So, Jojo, how do you feel about the school?" Clarissa asked in an attempt to avoid an awkward silence. Jojo shrugged.

"I don't care for it either. Some of the teacher's live to torture me. I was nearly bored into a coma during whostory class." This time Jojo let the small smile form. Clarissa's smile matched his.

"Want some fries?" Clarissa offered. Jojo happily took a few. The rest of lunch between them was silent, but at least it wasn't an awkward silence.


	2. Chapter 2

Clarissa sat on the same bus seat she'd taken that morning only sitting in the window seat this time. She let her book bag sit on her lap this time. Jojo was surprised to see her in the seat before him and plopped down on the seat next to her. She was apparently daydreaming because she seemed startled by his sudden presence and whipped her head around only to see him. He was holding back a small chuckle at her reaction, but Clarissa thinking he was just smiling at her to be friendly smiled back at him. As soon as the bus started rolling Jojo leaned his head back on the bus seat and closed his eyes. He wasn't sleeping he was just trying to unwind from the more than just stressful day. Clarissa had her own thoughts on the subject of the day. First off she'd do her homework then walk around to find what there was to do. She wasn't in the mood for another party with her brothers that she wasn't wanted to attend. She didn't want to go either. Why in Whoville would she want to go anyway? That was like saying she wanted to choke on the smells of cigarette smoke and beer and breathe in smelly air that was stale and humid from the many dancing bodies in the too small room and watch couples make out and touch each other in inappropriate ways. And that was not her idea of a good time. She didn't have one at the moment seeing as how she didn't have any friends. Jojo was more of an acquaintance. Clarissa stared out the window looking at nothing and feeling nothing, allowing herself to go numb and drift through the air, her mind and soul leaving her body behind until the bus pulled up at her stop and reality came crashing back down on her.

Jojo watched as Clarissa got off the bus. Before scooting over to the window seat and resting his head against it. He drifted into the same state of numbness as she had. Reality came crashing down just as hard. He wasn't who he wanted to be; he had to be who his father wanted him to be. Jojo didn't immediately go home. No, he headed straight for the observatory to do what he did best. He was talented as far as music was concerned.

Clarissa walked down the sidewalk, the fading daylight tinting buildings, trees, and whos pale blue, lavender, and a pinkish-orange. She was cautious as to where she was walking, but her eyes remained distant. She was weaving a new life in her mind, a different one. It was better. And if you want to know whether or not Jojo existed in this other life you'll just have to pay attention to her moods, thoughts, and actions, now won't you?

Jojo lie in his bed awake, staring at the ceiling. He was reflecting on his day. The highlights of his day were, without a doubt music class and the observatory. Jojo rolled on to his side and stared at the wall. He was glad he had a separate room from his sisters, almost none of whom he could tolerate. He could tolerate Heddie. She was sweet and innocent and seemed to be the only sister who didn't live to aggravate him. Heddie liked Jojo best. This was proven by the fact that whenever she had nightmares she came to him instead of their parents. Jojo tolerated her every time even though she occasionally wet the bed. Don't worry; she didn't wet the bed that night. Heddie was fast asleep beside Jojo, sucking on her thumb as she did so and clinging tightly to her stuffed teddy bear and the blanket on top of her. And what of the girl he had lunch with today? He certainly didn't expect her to be there. He had expected her to go and jump at the chance of popularity like all the whos at high school or any other school did. She was nice that much was true. And Jojo, perceptive as always, had noticed that there always seemed to be something on her mind. Even when she wasn't quite focusing on that thing in particular and was thinking or speaking of something of a different matter something in her body language was screaming at her that it couldn't easily be ignored. It was obvious, to Jojo, that it was something she had been walking around knowing for quite some time. How long? He wasn't sure, but he didn't want to think of the matter anymore. After all, it wasn't any of his business what was wrong with her. Sighing heavily, Jojo finally closed his suddenly heavy lidded eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, while Jojo was sleeping Clarissa was wishing she could sleep. The pounding music was near impossible to ignore. She'd locked her door and wished desperately that everyone would go home and never come back. It was a school night for crying out loud! Who wanted to be hung over in class tomorrow with an unbelievably loud bell ringing causing you to clutch your head and rub your temples in pain and frustration? Clarissa pulled her pillow over her head and tried to put herself to sleep by thinking of calming things, the music and the shouts coming from downstairs were too much. Sighing in defeat, she got up from her bed, climbed out of her bed, walked out onto the balcony of her room and climbed up on to the roof. The night sky was pitch black and the stars were out. She lay on her back and stared up and out into space. Her mind was constantly drifting. She did however snap herself back to reality when she began to think of certain topics, like her missing father and her never present mother. Her father was a sensitive topic for her. Her mother knew what happened to him, but wouldn't tell. Her brothers forgot about it and no longer cared, but for her it was always a nagging in the back of her head that wouldn't leave. As for talking about her mother, she would say she's not around and the topic would be dropped. Hours went by and Clarissa continued to lie on the roof imagining life in a different world when a black and grayish-white who crossed her mind. Jojo…. Quiet and he wasn't mean as far as she could tell. Was he a possible friend? Maybe he was maybe he wasn't. Only time would tell. And she'd be waiting to find out with quiet anticipation. Wasn't he in her choir class? She thought hard back to earlier that afternoon, but found herself unable to concentrate. She'd just have to wait for tomorrow to come, but at that moment it felt like an eternity away. About another hour or more later, she hadn't really been keeping track, she heard the crowd that was downstairs begin to leave and the music stopped, and surely this would be a party to remember. At least, that's what she heard from the bits and pieces of conversation going on below as the whos talked and left. Carefully, Clarissa climbed down from the roof and into her bed. Her eyelids drooped lower with each blink. She didn't fight sleep. She invited it.

Clarissa didn't bother going through the incredibly long lunch line in the cafeteria the next day. Besides, she was busy. Inspiration for a song to write hit her. She had notebooks upon notebooks full of songs, but no one ever saw them. She was bent over one of the books. She had been doing fine until she got midway through the song when she was caught on a lyric. Her brow furrowed, and her stomach rumbled, but she didn't notice. Jojo did. Jojo pulled the book from her grasp and pushed a tray with pizza on it towards her.

"Eat," he said while taking a slice off of the tray. Clarissa was caught off guard, but yielded. She needed the food on account of her low energy due to lack of sleep last night. Clarissa took a slice too, but her mind was still stuck on that lyric. Jojo eyed her. She looked up through her bangs at him.

"What?" she asked.

"Something's on your mind," he stated simply. Jojo was always straight forward.

"It's nothing important. I was working on a song and I got stuck, and I don't know what else to write."  
"I can help," he said, reaching for the notebook. Jojo read the song until he came to the last line. _"I love you, can't you see."_ Jojo thought for a second or two then said, "You're so busy loving someone else to notice who you really need is me." Clarissa widened her eyes. The line had the rhythm to match the song and fit the mood of the song well.

"Thanks," Clarissa said quietly, writing the lyric down in her notebook.

"You're good," Jojo said, starting on his next slice of pizza. A tiny, barely noticeable blush tinted her pale cheeks, and she smiled a little. She'd never heard a compliment of any sort from anyone and even the compliment Jojo gave her was enough to make her feel just a little bit better about herself. But it was only herself. She didn't quite yet enjoy life the way it was. Jojo smiled back at her before taking another small bite of his pizza. Clarissa yawned a bit.

"Up late?" Jojo said, raising an eyebrow.

"My brothers throw parties into all hours of the night, so sleep is out of the question until the party is over, and who knows when that'll be?" Clarissa shut up before she started babbling. Exactly where did she come off telling her brothers business? Even if she didn't totally like them she still needed to respect their privacy.

"Siblings can be annoying sometimes, but you'll always love them nevertheless," Jojo said finishing off his pizza and resting his elbow on the table and placing the side of his face in his palm.

"Yeah…. I have eight brothers. You got any brothers?" Clarissa said, a little thrilled she was able to get more than one word answers out of him.

"No, I don't have any brothers, just sisters."

"How many do you have?"

"Ninety-six, I am the only boy," Jojo said, rolling his eyes.

"They drive you crazy?" Clarissa asked casually though she was much more interested than she let on. He nodded. But he still loved them and she could tell. She may not have liked her brothers, but she did love them. Clarissa finished off the pizza before starting to finish off the song. As she was working on the song she became absorbed in the music as if it was being played on her whopod or she was at a concert. Jojo watched her scribble down the rest of her song. He was quiet. Though he couldn't see her eyes, he was sure they were animated. Jojo's eyes were the same way whenever went up to the old observatory and made music. Jojo read the words as she wrote them, tying them together to form a rhythm and a meaning. Clarissa closed the notebook and sat back in her chair, hugging the book to her chest, eyes closed, and a satisfied smile on her lips. It was also the same smile Jojo had when he was done in the observatory for the day. The bell rang, and lunch was over. The two whos left the table without another word to the other. They were content, and neither wanted to ruin that moment.

Clarissa walked down the long, seemingly endless corridor to her choir class, her last class. She'd had to choose an elective class before school started, and anything with music sounded good to her. Clarissa saw Jojo in the corner leaning on the wall with his eyes closed. He was listening to his whopod and blocking out the world momentarily. Clarissa shifted her weight from foot to foot trying to decide whether or not to go join him or leave him to his music. His black hair fell in front of his face a little. Jojo opened his eyes and watched as Clarissa took a seat. The bell rang and only half the seats were full which meant half the class was late. Jojo took an empty seat next to Clarissa. He took out his headphones and smiled at her. She smiled back at him. The teacher was late so half of the time they were in that class was filled with chatter. Jojo didn't speak but then again neither did Clarissa. They listened to Jojo's whopod. Some of the songs Clarissa had never heard she immediately fell in love with, as for the ones she knew and already loved, she couldn't help either tapping her foot or bobbing her head to them.

On the bus, they listened to Jojo's whopod. Clarissa was pleased to know they had similar taste in music. Her day seemed to brighten just a little more, but nothing lasts forever and she was quickly reminded of the fact when the loud obnoxious whos came to her home. It wasn't a party this time thank goodness, but even a get together with a few friends was annoying especially when they decided to pick on her.

"Hey, Sis, come over here for a sec! Clarissa," called Christian. Clarissa groaned inwardly, but came over anyway. She should've just walked away.

"This is our sister, Clarissa," Chris introduced her, "Say hi Clarissa."

"Hey," Clarissa mumbled. She could tell this wasn't going to end well. Sitting with her brothers was the group of girls that was gossiping about her on her first day of school and among them was Harriet Herbert.

"Hello," said the bright pink who, "Why don't you come hang out with us? We heard you didn't have any friends, you _poor thing_," she said condescendingly. Clarissa bit her lip for three reasons. The first reason was she didn't want to say anything she might regret. The second was that she didn't want to cry because her feelings were hurt about the friend comment. And the third reason was because she wanted to deny the thing about the friend comment and say Jojo was her friend, but she wasn't sure if this were true or not.

"_No_," Clarissa said. Harriet glared at her. Most people wouldn't get so upset at the decline to an invitation to hang out, but the way Clarissa said it is what ticked Harriet off. She also hated the way Clarissa was so defiant. She knew most people would get on the floor and beg for Harriet to hang out with them, but Clarissa wasn't most people. She was different and that was why she was automatically an outcast in Harriet's book. That was why Jojo wasn't popular either, because he dared to be different, and didn't care if anyone else liked it or not. Harriet stood and pretended to trip to have an excuse to spill beer on Clarissa's fur. Clarissa went through half a bottle of her favorite soap to clean the stain and remove the smell.


	3. Chapter 3

Jojo got up early for no particular reason the next morning and walked to school. Thinking back maybe he should've taken the bus. He could've ridden with Clarissa. Jojo arrived at school a little earlier than the buses, by five minutes maybe. He waited next to the school entrance. Clarissa walked up the steps and didn't see him until she reached the top. She was slightly surprised, but the surprise wore off within a second or two. They walked down the hall together until they had to go their separate ways to get to their lockers. Clarissa had originally wanted to listen to music on the bus with Jojo. She'd brought her whopod. At least half the songs on Clarissa's whopod were the same on Jojo's whopod.

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"No, Clarissa! That's all wrong!"

"But I only got _one_ wrong!"

"Yes, but who knows? One question wrong on you aptitude test could affect you entire future, but with the progress you're making now I wouldn't be too surprised," Ms. Herbert said with a sneer. Clarissa put her head in her hands and sighed. This lady was absolutely adamant. There was certainly no changing her mind once she decided what's what. Second period math never seemed to get any easier and it was far too early in the morning for her taste. Clarissa was far too eager for lunch to come and for the nightmare of math class to be over which, she knew, meant that the morning would seem just that much longer. She slumped in her seat a bit. A nagging question was buzzing around in her mind annoyingly.

Jojo copied down the notes on the board as quickly as he could in his science class. The teacher was shakier than usual that day and he was sweating a lot. He had sweat stains under his pits, and he was constantly wiping at his forehead with a handkerchief. Jojo sighed and blew a few strands of hair out of his eyes. He could only imagine what a nervous wreck the teacher had been during the job interview. A heavy book had fallen from the table next to him and landed on the floor with a loud boom. The teacher yelped like a girl. Jojo rolled his eyes, and his expression turned from bored to annoyed as the class erupted with laughter. He couldn't wait for lunch to roll around. And so the morning stretched on before him. Minutes turned to hours, and it seemed lunch would never come for him or Clarissa. Jojo thought back a little bit. On the first day of school he didn't look forward to anything. Now, he wasn't sure what it was, but he could figure it out. The teacher shuffled back to his desk. Well, looking forward to the teachers was out, and what possibly good thing came out of looking forward to most of the students here? "_Hmmm… Most of the students…,_" he thought, "_Clarissa…_." Was she his friend?

Clarissa bit her lip. Unlike Jojo, she wasn't straight forward. She beat around bush a lot, and the times she was straight forward was when she cracked under the pressure of some great burden. Jojo had been sitting across from her shoveling spoons of macaroni and cheese into his mouth. She didn't know it, but he was silently waiting to hear what she had to say.

"Jojo?" Clarissa started. Jojo looked up. "Are we friends?" The words rushed out of her mouth, and she wondered if he understood her.

"Yeah," he said giving her a small smile. She smiled back. She was just that much happier than she had been when she'd started the school year. Now she had something to look forward to. The year seemed brighter, but just a little. Nothing was going to be smooth from now on. Nothing is ever that simple. There were still the troubles she had before she met Jojo.

"Good," she said after a second, "I've never had a friend before," she said, cocking her head to the side like it was the most interesting but also the most confusing thing ever.

"I only have one other friend. She's my sister Heddie. She's the youngest. She'll be three soon," Jojo said, smiling warmly thinking of his adorable little sister.

Clarissa looked at her tray of half eaten food. Mashed potatoes and gravy weren't her favorite, but she chose it over peas and carrots. Jojo swiped a spoonful of her mashed potatoes. Clarissa looked up at a smirking Jojo. She smiled and playfully rolled her eyes. Jojo tasted the potatoes.

"Ick," Jojo said feigning disgust, "No wonder you're not eating it." Clarissa let out a little laugh. It was a pleasant sound, light as air with contagiousness in it. Jojo laughed too. Clarissa stole some of his macaroni and cheese.

"Well it's not like your food is any better," Clarissa said, her eyes slightly glinting with a playfulness that had never been there before. Not that anyone other than Jojo would have noticed. Jojo didn't need to see her eyes to know they were glinting. Her smile said it all. The bell rang.

"I'll see you in choir," Clarissa said, looking over her shoulder and walking away to her next class, English. Jojo waved goodbye and headed to his own whostory class.

Clarissa hugged her books close to her chest as she made her way to English. She was absolutely ecstatic. She finally had a friend. She'd have someone who'd listen to her when she needed to talk and make her laugh when she was ready to cry. At least, she hoped he would. She'd do the same for him. Even if he didn't do it she still would, but she doubted he wouldn't. As far as she could tell, Jojo was overall pretty sweet. Then Clarissa realized that she and Jojo could have listened to her whopod at lunch, but she didn't regret forgetting. Lunch turned out fine anyway. Besides, they could listen to it on the bus.

Jojo was sitting in his seat in choir class holding a spot for Clarissa. She plopped down next to him. They were quiet, exchanging smiles every now and then. Once again, it wasn't an awkward silence. Nothing needed to be said, and they had nothing to say. The teacher was on time for class this time, much to the disappointment of most of the students, Jojo and Clarissa not included.

"Class," began the choir instructor, "It's time we brought most of you out of your comfort zone. The reason this elective class receives a majority of the school funding is because it has been proven to enhance confidence and improve social and academic achievement. So that is why the next song we will be learning is a solo piece. We'll learn it together, but for a test grade each of you will have to stand in front of the class, and sing it solo." Clarissa felt her spirit fall. Clarissa didn't do well with public speaking, singing, or anything else that involved her doing something on her own in front of a lot of people. She became sick. And Jojo, though he had an amazing voice, was never too keen on sharing it. The rest of the class didn't seem too happy about it either as far as either Jojo or Clarissa tell judging by the grumbles and murmurs of protest coming from the class.

"Settle down. Settle down. Now, Jennie, please pass out these music sheets. It's the song we'll be learning. It's called "As If We Never Said Goodbye. I'll give you the starting note then use your abilities to find the rest of the notes." The teacher hit an E flat on the piano, and the class started singing. Some of the students found their notes no problem, but most of the students struggled to find the right pitch. But then again, most of the students chose choir not for the music but for the possibility of an easy A. It wasn't as easy as they assumed it would be.

Jojo and Clarissa walked to the bus together when they were stopped by the sound of Christian's voice calling Clarissa. Clarissa closed her eyes, blew out a breath, and turned around.

"Clarissa, we're going to a party tonight, and since we can't leave you behind you need to come too," he said in the most in charge voice he could muster.

"But I have loads of homework. We'll be gone all night, and I can't just stay up until it's time to get up. Are you nuts?"

"She can come over to my house," Jojo said stepping in. Christian looked Jojo up and down wondering who he was, but didn't care. He had no time to argue with his sister, so he nodded.

"Fine, I gotta go," he said before taking off in the direction of his friend's bus.

"Thanks, but you didn't have to do that. I can take care of myself. I'll just get off at my stop," Clarissa said, redirecting her attention to Jojo.

"Yeah, but when your brothers find out I let you go home and stay there by yourself they'll kill me."

"Well… You're no good dead, so I guess that means I'm coming over to your house. We can get off at my stop and get my things then we can walk to your house."

Clarissa took out her whopod on the bus, and she and Jojo listened to it on the way to Clarissa's stop. Jojo liked her selections of music, including the songs that weren't on his own whopod. Jojo continued to scroll through the songs even as they were walking to Clarissa's house.

The rooms in Clarissa's house were fairly clean, give or take a few pizza boxes and beer bottles lying around. However Clarissa's room remained clean considering she locked the door of her room every night there was a party.

"My brothers are party animals," Clarissa explained the messiness of all the other rooms.

Clarissa grabbed a duffel bag out of her closet and began filling it with various necessities needed to get through the night and tomorrow morning. Jojo looked around her room. Pale pink walls with a white bed against the far wall with a shaggy white carpet and the look was pulled together by a pair of pink and dark brown bean bags resting in corners on opposite sides of the room. The style was a casual look that allowed one to feel at home. He saw on the wall, opposite him, a glass door leading out to a balcony.

"Okay, I'm ready," Clarissa said, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"I hope you like chicken. That's what my mom is making for dinner tonight. Also get up unbelievably early. Ninety-nine plus you makes 100 and we only have one bathroom," Jojo said, beginning to walk out of Clarissa's room. Clarissa stood dazed for a second before following him out the house. After checking one last time to make sure the door was locked Jojo and Clarissa walked down the street. "_I'll never complain about having to share two bathrooms with eight brothers ever again," _thought Clarissa.

"So, where's your mom?" Jojo asked, letting his curiosity get the best of him.

"She's not around," Clarissa said robotically, her eyes staring at her feet. Jojo didn't press the matter any further. Jojo was clever, but he didn't need to be to be able to tell she didn't want to talk about it anymore. But that didn't stop him from thinking about it. Was she dead? Did she run away? Did she not want her kids? Was she in the hospital? Jojo managed to push these questions aside. He was debating with himself, wondering if he should ask about her dad, but decided against it.

"Does your dad prefer to be called Mayor or Mr. Mcdodd?" Clarissa asked ending the first awkward silence held between the two friends.

"Mr. Mcdodd will do," Jojo said as they approached the giant house.

Jojo spent some time explaining how meals in The Mcdodd house hold normally worked, but since there weren't enough chairs they would eat in his room. Jojo made up his bed with fresh sheets. Jojo's room was gray with black furniture. He had two large CD racks in the corner and Clarissa browsed through them casually as if she normally did this at a friend's house. Jojo didn't mind. Besides, she always made sure put things exactly where she found them.

"JOJOOOOOOOO," screamed Heddie as she raced into Jojo's room and hugged his leg. Jojo picked up Heddie and set her on his shoulders. For the first time Heddie noticed Clarissa in Jojo's room. Already Heddie liked Clarissa, and showed it by giving a big grin in Clarissa's direction. Clarissa, in return, gave Heddie a warm, tender smile. Heddie was absolutely adorable, and it was obvious Clarissa thought so.

"Awww… She's adorable," Clarissa said while Jojo set Heddie back on the ground. Heddie walked/waddled over to Clarissa, still smiling.

"Hi. I Heddie," Heddie said, pointing to herself.

"I'm Clarissa. It's nice to meet you."

"Teeph," Heddie said pointing to her teeth, "I gwowing up. I losing dis one doe," Heddie pointed to a loose tooth.

"It's teeth, Heddie. It's with a TH," Jojo corrected her.

"I like Clawissa," Heddie said ignoring her brother's corrections.

"Heddie?" called Jojo's mom, Sally Mcdodd. "Where are you sweetie?"

"I am in here Mama. I am wit Jojo and his fwend Clawissa!"

"Oh! Hello, I'm Sally Mcdodd, Jojo's mom," Sally introduced herself.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Mcdodd," Clarissa said standing up from the floor, where she had been working on homework while Jojo was working on the bed, and shaking Sally's hand. Heddie raised her hands above her head, and Sally picked up the young who.

"Dinner will be ready in a few. I assume you two will be eating in here?" Sally asked. Jojo nodded.


	4. Chapter 4

"Why don't you just tell your dad you don't want to be mayor?" Clarissa asked. She was sitting on the bed across from Jojo. Jojo was lying on his back; limbs sprawled out, his eyes closed.

"I don't want to disappoint him. He spent my whole life getting excited about his son becoming mayor. It's not just something you can walk to a person and say. 'Hey, dad, I know you'll be unbelievably disappointed when I tell you this, but I don't want to be mayor!' It's not that simple," Jojo said.

Clarissa hugged her knees to her chest and looked at the black and gray who that lay before her.

"Nothing ever is," Clarissa said with a hint of her own sadness mixed into it. Jojo didn't miss it, but didn't ask. It was quiet for a moment. Clarissa continued to stare at Jojo who stared at the ceiling.

"How does your mom do it all?" Clarissa broke the silence, quiet amazement seeping into her words. Jojo remained silent, waiting for her to explain what she meant.

"How does she manage to take care of ninety-seven kids, run a household, and still find time to do everything else in between?"

Jojo sat up and shrugged. Jojo slid off the bed and slipped into a black sleeping bag. Originally Clarissa wanted to take the sleeping bag, but Jojo wouldn't let her.

"We should get ready for bed. You said to get up early to use the bathroom, but do you think if I showered tonight I'd still be fresh and clean for tomorrow?" Clarissa asked, not to keen on getting up unbelievably early to take a bath. Jojo shrugged, thought about it, and then nodded. "Probably," he said. Clarissa hopped off the bed and started searching through her bag for shampoo and some soap. Jojo left some towels out for her.

When Clarissa came back to the room she was ready for bed. Jojo chuckled.

"You know, you'll still have to get up early to brush your teeth," he said a devious spreading on his lips.

"Why didn't you tell me that before I went through all that trouble?" Clarissa said glaring playfully at him.

"I assumed you'd figure it out," he said giving her a cute, little shrug and a half smile. The fact that it was cute wasn't noticed by Clarissa and she just saw it as him being smug. Clarissa threw a pillow at him. Jojo gladly took it in the face.

"You're not getting it back," He said simply, turning out the light, "Good night."

"Wha-? Jojo give me that pillow," Clarissa demanded, laughter coming out. Jojo just merely chuckled.

Clarissa stumbled out the bed.

"Jojo," Clarissa's voice appeared right next to his ear, sounding irritated and at the same time playful and giggly. Jojo shoved the pillow in Clarissa's face laughing along with her. Clarissa removed the pillow from her face with a huff.

"Thank you," she said moving back to the bed. Her smile didn't fade even as she lay down to sleep and they were through playing around. She was genuinely happy.

"Jojo? I'm glad we're friends," She said closing her eyes and letting out a contented sigh.

"Me too," Jojo replied smiling still.

3 3 3

"You're really small for a who you know that?" Clarissa asked Jojo as they sat in his room eating breakfast. Jojo rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I think by now I would've noticed, but why are you pointing it out? You're not taller than me we're the same height," Jojo pointed out.

"Yeah…. I wish I had fur more like yours," Clarissa said looking at his fur. Jojo looked down at it too. He looked at her quizzically.

"I mean I wish I had fur that weren't so plain, something different," Clarissa clarified. Jojo just shrugged. Clarissa often jumped from topic to topic, subject to subject. It was gift and a curse in Clarissa's eyes. She could avoid awkward silences at times, but it meant that she babbled occasionally. So she usually didn't say much. She said more than Jojo, and she enjoyed being able to make him come out of his otherwise mute state. Jojo didn't mind talking to Clarissa. Jojo didn't mind talking. He just didn't want to say the wrong things. He didn't want to hurt people. Clarissa had learned that yesterday when they were discussing what Jojo wanted to be. She'd asked, but Jojo changed the subject of the topic, from him and his plans over to his dad and his dad's plans, and didn't tell Clarissa what he wanted to be. Soon she forgot about it. Jojo wasn't quite ready to tell her what he wanted to be and maybe even show her the observatory.

Jojo set his plate down. He looked at Clarissa, and cocked his head to the side a bit.

"How come you don't show your eyes?" he asked her.

"Why won't you tell your dad you don't want to be mayor?"

"That's not the same thing. So why don't you?"

"I don't know. The thought never really occurred to me."

"Wait here," Jojo said getting up and leaving the room. Clarissa stared after him and continued to watch the door way after he had gone. Jojo returned five minutes later with something silver in his hand.

"My sister didn't want this anymore. Here," he said handing her a silver headband with a pale blue, rhinestone dragonfly on it. Jojo held up a mirror while Clarissa brushed her bangs out of her face and put the headband on to hold them in place. Jojo continued to hold the mirror up while Clarissa looked at her handiwork. Her eyes were a lighter shade of purple than she remembered. Clarissa's eyes were purplish-lavender. The bright color of her eyes was brought out by her thick dark lashes. Jojo lowered the mirror and looked at her. A slow smile played across his lips. Clarissa's smile was shy and timid. For once in a long time she could see things without the hindrance of her bangs. She saw perfectly now. Clarissa bit her lip and lowered her head. A second passed, and she looked up through her lashes, her eyes searching his expression, looking for his opinion.

"You look nice," Jojo said brushing a stray hair from Clarissa's face. Clarissa continued to stare at Jojo for a bit, and he stared at her. Clarissa and Jojo both felt lucky to have a friend like the other.

"JOJO, SCHOOL!" Heddie said appearing in the doorway of Jojo's room. Jojo broke his gaze with Clarissa, walked over to Heddie, and lifted her onto his shoulders. Jojo still managed to grab his book bag and proceeded to walk out of the room. Heddie looked back at Clarissa, and her eyes widened then a smile appeared on her face.

"Whoa, Horsey," Heddie said once they reached the front room of the house. Jojo chuckled and set Heddie down on the floor. Clarissa, who had been following behind the two, watched as Heddie made her way over to her. Heddie motioned for Clarissa to bend down.

"Wow," Heddie said, "Your eyes are pwetty."

"Thank you, Heddie. I'll miss you," Clarissa said, giving Heddie a gentle hug.

"You not come back?" Heddie asked looking sad.

"No, Heddie. I have to go to my own house, but I'll visit if you want me to," Clarissa said pulling away from the young who and giving her a warm smile.

"Yay! Visit lots! 'kay?" Heddie said a smile coming back to her face.

"Okay. I promise," Clarissa said standing up. Jojo smiled. Heddie and Clarissa became fast friends. Yes, the three of them were going to be great friends.

3 3 3

Clarissa and Jojo took their usual seat in the front of the bus. Jojo was in the window seat and Clarissa in the aisle seat.

"You're nuts. '100 Years to Live' is the greatest slow song ever written," Clarissa said. Jojo begged to differ.

"No, 'You Don't See Me' is way better," Jojo argued back.

"Jojo, what's your _favorite_ song?" Clarissa asked glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. Jojo furrowed his brow for a bit.

"Probably 'Life Is A Highway'. Why?"

"No reason, I was just curious."

"Okay then. What's _your_ favorite song?" Jojo asked, raising an eyebrow. Clarissa bit her lip.

"I guess it's 'I Hope You Dance'. I love that song with a passion," Clarissa said, her face aglow and her eyes sparkling. He may not have like that song as much as Clarissa, but he liked it nevertheless.

"What are you thinking of?" Clarissa asked Jojo.

"I like that song too," Jojo said turning his head to look at her. She was leaning back, completely relaxed, still looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

"This bus ride seems longer than normal. You think maybe we're bored?"

"We've been stuck in traffic for the past twenty minutes, and you're telling me you're just now noticing?" Jojo asked, fighting back a laugh. Clarissa's cheeks blushed scarlet.

"Maybe I've been zoning out a little too much," Clarissa said then sighed. "They were pretty darn good thoughts too," Clarissa added under her breath.

"What were they about?" Jojo asked leaning his head back on the seat and closing his eyes. Clarissa warred with herself before deciding that she could tell Jojo what exactly had happened in her fantasies and imaginings.

"I was spending time with my mom and dad and my brothers. You were there too."

"What did we do?"

"We hung out. We listened to music and talked about a lot about nothing."

"What kind of nothing did we talk about?" Jojo asked a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"You told me what you wanted to be when you grew up, and I told you what I wanted to be. I wanted to be a song writer for a famous musician. Then we went over to your house for a sleepover. Oh! I forgot! Heddie was there too. She's just as sweet as in real life. We played with her for a bit before your mom came and took her away…."

"What about your family? What did you do?"

"We spent time together. I had to make up what my dad looked like. I don't know what he looks like," Clarissa bit her lip for a second before continuing, "We had dinner together, something we never do. We talked. They asked me about my day, and I told them. We laughed. We got along."

Jojo opened his eyes and looked at Clarissa. She was biting down hard on her lip. Her eyes were clouded with confusion and a very well hidden emotion. Her hands were clenched into fists; her breathing had slowed to deep even breaths, probably to calm her down.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Jojo asked concerned for his friend.

"I don't want to talk about it," Clarissa managed to choke out.

"I'll be here when you do," Jojo replied not in the least offended that she wouldn't tell. After all, he still hadn't told her of the observatory. Clarissa absolutely adored how Jojo never pushed you to do anything you didn't want to do. Not many whos had that quality.

"Yay we're moving," Clarissa said looking past Jojo and out the window, but her joy was short lived.

"Great. We moved a whole two inches. We'll be at school in no time," Jojo said sarcastically, smirking and raising an eyebrow at Clarissa.

"I could do without the sarcasm thank you," Clarissa said with a huff and a smile. "Are you a good singer?" Clarissa asked a moment later thinking of choir class.

"I guess," Jojo shrugged. "You?"

"Er, I don't know," Clarissa said an unidentified expression appearing on her face. Was it a mixture of confusion and anxiousness?

"Sing something," Jojo demanded. Clarissa's cheeks flushed, but she closed her eyes and quietly sang the first verse of "I Hope You Dance." Her voice was small and timid, so it was obvious she was nervous.

"How'd I do?" Clarissa asked opening her eyes but looking at her hands which rested in her lap.

"You did great, but you'd sound better if you turned up the volume a little bit more," Jojo commented. Clarissa let out a sigh of relief. Perhaps she wouldn't flunk the test when she had to sing that solo. She loved the third verse of the song and to sing it because it brought back memories of youth. It was easier when she was younger. Life never seemed to be harsh then when the world was pure. At that moment she wished she were a kid again, but also at that moment she was glad she wasn't. If she had been a kid she'd have never met Jojo.


	5. Chapter 5

_I've spent so many mornings, just trying to resist you_

_I'm trembling now; you can't know how I've missed you_

_Missed the fairytale adventures in this ever spinning playground_

_We were young together_

"_You're doing great. Just keep focusing on me, Clarissa_," Jojo thought repeatedly in his head. His eyes were locked onto Clarissa's as she sang the solo for choir class. Her voice was still a little shaky with nervousness, but it could've been way worse. Right now she was relying on Jojo for support. She was so nervous when the teacher called on her first to sing "As If We Never Said Goodbye" she was sure her knees would give out as she walked to the front of the class.

_The whispered conversations in overcrowded hallways_

_So much to say, not just today but always_

_We'll have early morning madness_

_We'll have magic in the making_

_Yes, everything's as if we never said goodbye_

_Yes, everything's as if we never said good… bye_

The class clapped, and Clarissa gave a shy smile. She hurried to her seat next to Jojo and let out a sigh of relief. Jojo grabbed her hand and squeezed it comfortingly.

"You did great. Don't worry," he comforted her. Her breaths were shaky, but little by little the effects of her nervousness were wearing off.

"Thanks," she said breathily. Jojo gave her hand another squeeze.

"Nicely done," came a voice on the other side of Clarissa. Clarissa looked up at the boy sitting next to her. His eyes were green and they danced with mischief, but they were very alluring eyes. Clarissa smiled a bit.

"Th-thanks," she managed to stutter out before quickly looking down at her feet. Clarissa's cheeks were hot, but it was nothing in her mind but another side effect of nervousness. Jojo dropped her hand moment later, unaware of Clarissa's blush and the reason she was blushing.

They sat in silence on the bus which was, once again, broken by Clarissa.

"Another day comes to an end. Tomorrow's Friday. What're you doing tomorrow?"

"I'm hoping my friend comes over to hang out with me and visit Heddie like she promised," Jojo said looking at Clarissa. Clarissa merely smiled.

"Of course, I'd love to," Clarissa replied. Clarissa had missed Heddie dearly as if Heddie were her own little sister.

3 3 3

"CLAWISSA," Heddie yelled running to Clarissa and clinging to her leg in a hug once she reached her. It was a Friday afternoon and Clarissa had gone to Jojo's house like she promised.

"Heddie," Clarissa said as excitedly but not as loudly picking up Heddie and giving her a hug.

"What about me?" Jojo asked feigning hurt feelings. Heddie smiled and giggled as she was handed over to Jojo. It was obvious that she was enjoying all the attention she was getting from the Clarissa and Jojo.

"Horsey," Heddie demanded and Jojo willingly put Heddie on his shoulders, "I'm the queen," Heddie announced proudly, holding up her head proudly. Clarissa smiled at her. Heddie let out another happy laugh.

"Want go outside," Heddie said a moment later. Jojo led Clarissa and carried Heddie out to the back yard. Heddie immediately ran to the swing set. She climbed onto the swing and bounced on it a little, eager for Jojo to push her. Jojo gently pushed her, and Heddie had a big grin on her face. Clarissa lay on her back on the grass nearby and closed her eyes. The sun's warm rays felt good, and grasses tickled where they grazed against her. Her mind began to drift. Many things flashed in front her eyes. The first thing was Jojo then Heddie, her brothers, those green, charming eyes she'd noticed for the first time yesterday in choir class. "_Nicely done."_ The words flashed through her mind. She gave a small smile and felt her cheeks grow warmer than they were already. Her heart fluttered a little.

"Look, Clawissa, look," Heddie said as she swung through the air. Clarissa rolled onto her stomach and smiled at Heddie who was overjoyed to be doing everything she wanted with her two best friends. Those green eyes continued to flash through her mind every time she closed her eyes or let her mind drift. The emotion she felt was odd, but she sort of liked it. Clarissa was brought out of her thoughts when she noticed Heddie making her way over to her. Clarissa sat up, but kept her head down so she could sort of look Heddie in the eye.

"Why are your cheeks pink?" Heddie asked putting her little hands on Clarissa's cheeks. Clarissa grabbed Heddie's tiny hands and held them in hers. Clarissa rested her forehead on Heddie's. Heddie was a precious little who whom Clarissa wished she could call her sister.

"I don't know. So what do you want to do next? You _are_ the queen," Clarissa said taking Heddie's attention away from herself. Jojo however still wondered. He wasn't entirely sure what to think. She looked sincere when she said she didn't know, but she just might be a really good liar. Jojo stopped thinking of it. He didn't want to think she was a liar, and decided it wasn't his business as to why she was blushing. Clarissa glanced up at Jojo, and he merely shrugged and gave a small smile. Clarissa gave a smile back before standing. Heddie looked back and forth between the two wondering what they were smiling about. Jojo's brown eyes revealed nothing as he looked at Clarissa, yet Clarissa's eyes were dancing with amusement. Heddie wondered if maybe there was something there that neither of them could detect, but she quickly lost interest.

"Lunch," Heddie said smiling up at Clarissa and leading her toward the house. Clarissa and Jojo broke their gazes with each other and looked at Heddie.

"Sure, what do you want?" Jojo asked.

"I want a ham sammich," Heddie said.

"It's sandwich, Heddie," Jojo corrected, "Clarissa what do you want?"

"Anything's fine," Clarissa said with a wave showing she didn't care what was made.

3 3 3

"I all full up," Heddie said pushing her empty plate away. Clarissa grabbed a napkin and began wiping off Heddie's face. Heddie yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"Nap time, my queen," Jojo said picking up Heddie whose eyes began to droop. Heddie rubbed her eyes again with her tiny fists.

"But I not sleepy," Heddie whined, stifling another yawn. Heddie rested her head on Jojo's shoulder. She was trying to keep her eyes open to no avail. Jojo gently stroked Heddie's back. Jojo put Heddie in her bed while Clarissa continued to sit in the kitchen where they had their lunch and awaited his return. Jojo returned a moment later and began to clean up the plates.

"Jojo," Clarissa began. Jojo looked at her. "How can you tell when you just might like someone? I mean how can you tell when you have crush on someone?"

"I don't know. I've never had a crush on someone before," Jojo said raising an eyebrow at her. Clarissa looked down. "Why? Do you like someone at school?" Jojo was beginning to worry she might like him. He couldn't return _those_ feelings. He didn't return those feelings.

"Do you remember that boy in choir class who complemented me on my singing, not you but the boy on the other side of me?" Clarissa's cheeks turned pink once more. Jojo nodded and inwardly relaxed at this. "Yeah, well, I think he's kind of cute, especially his eyes. Heh heh. So does that mean I like him or I just think he's cute?"

Jojo shrugged, "Maybe it means both," Jojo said and continued to put the dishes away. Clarissa mulled this over in her head. Maybe it did mean both. Clarissa rested her head in her hands and watched Jojo work. He washed the dishes and wiped the counter. He knew she was watching him, but he didn't mind. When you were silent you noticed a lot of things. He noticed the way her laugh spread to other people, the way that she cocked her head to the right when she was confused, the way she bit her lip and furrowed her brow when she was concentrating really hard on something, and the way there was a certain charm to her and everything she did that no one else could possess. He didn't know why he noticed these things, but he did. He watched her, observed her, as she lay on the floor on her stomach with her eyes closed, twirling a lock of her hair, bobbing her head to the music they were listening to. She was interesting in his opinion. She certainly wasn't your every day, average, fourteen year old girl. She stood out by not standing out. Once you got to know her she wasn't just a regular who. She was vibrant and alive. She didn't flaunt it though. She didn't go to people to make friends, she let them come to her and decide if they could be friends. Jojo had never had a friend like Clarissa, and when the school year started he didn't imagine he'd have a friend let alone one like Clarissa. He was glad he had a friend like her, and he wouldn't trade her for another more popular one.

"Clarissa," said a surprised Sally Mcdodd, "Are you staying for dinner?" Clarissa opened her eyes and smiled a friendly smile at Mrs. Mcdodd.

"No, but thank you for the offer. I promised my brothers I'd be home by eight," Clarissa said politely.

"Oh, well you better get a move on. It's seven thirty."

"Oh. Okay. Bye Jojo," Clarissa said standing up and leaving the room, Jojo's eyes following after her until she brushed past his mom. His eyes met with his mom's. She had a small smile on her face and she quirked an eyebrow at him. Jojo looked at her quirking an eyebrow back at her until realization hit him. Both of his eyebrows were up now and cheeks reddened a little bit. Sally Mcdodd walked away shaking her head and smiling to herself laughing over things that only a mother could detect.

Clarissa didn't go straight home exactly. She took the long way home lingering around a few of the places she enjoyed. She didn't think it was such a bad thing to do. She'd get home on time after all, but once it started raining she began to regret her decision. Thunder boomed in the distance, showing the most powerful part of the storm was on its way. Right now it was pouring rain, and her fur was soaked through. Clarissa tightly wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to make herself war, but it didn't work. Clarissa broke out into a trot. The rain was cold and the cold seemed to ice her bones over. She watched as the world seemed to quake while she stopped to look both ways when crossing the street that led to her house, then she realized the world wasn't shaking, she was. Her teeth chattered a bit, and once she was sure she was safe she sprinted down the sidewalk to her house and ran into the house and practically slammed the door behind her.

Clarissa could hear her brothers in another room with some of their friends but didn't care. She went up the stairs and into the bathroom for a hot shower. Even as she was doused with hot water Clarissa still felt cold. She dried off and trudged into her room, shivering as she did so. Clarissa curled up under the covers of her bed as a storm raged outside. She closed her eyes and slept.

Clarissa awoke groggy and disoriented and cold. Her throat hurt and sweat pasted her hair to her neck and forehead. The sunlight that shone through the glass doors that led to her balcony was too bright and ticking of the clock on her nightstand was like a drumming in her ear. Her nose was runny, and she knew she had a cold. For as long as Clarissa could remember when ever she was sick the sickness lasted only two days. It would start off as a cold but would slowly develop into a fever and then she would throw up.


	6. Chapter 6

"You sound funny. Can you come play wit me?" Heddie asked over the phone.

"Sorry, Heddie, I can't. I'm sick. I got caught in the rain yesterday and caught a cold," Clarissa said her throat aching with every syllable she uttered. She felt like someone was using a cheese grater on the inside of her throat.

"Awww…, but I miss you," Heddie whined disappointed. She missed Clarissa even though she'd only seen her the day before.

"I miss you too, and don't worry. When I get better I'll visit as soon as I can. Okay?" she reassured Heddie who brightened a little at this.

"Okay. Jojo want to talk to you," Heddie said before giving the phone to Jojo who helped Heddie call Clarissa to see if she could come over. Jojo didn't show it in his body language or facial expression, but he was hoping Clarissa could come over. He enjoyed her company, probably more than Heddie did.

"Hey, are you okay? You can't come over?" he said into the phone and curious and a little worried.

"No, I'm sick. I can't come over today. Maybe I can come in three of four days."

"How are your brothers taking care of you?"

"They're not. I am. They left with some friends earlier. Don't worry. I can take care of myself."  
"I'll be right over. Give me twenty minutes," Jojo said, clearly showing he wasn't taking no for an answer. Clarissa could hear Heddie in the background asking Jojo if she could come with him. She heard Jojo say no, but Heddie refused to give up and started saying please over and over again. Jojo said fine once he couldn't take it anymore. Whenever Jojo said no Heddie annoyed him 'til he said yes. Clarissa laughed a bit, but it was cut short. She clutched at her burning throat. Clarissa pulled the covers over her head but kept the phone next to her face. She closed her eyes for a second.

"Clarissa? Clarissa, are you still there?" Jojo asked. Clarissa cracked open her eyes and looked at the phone for a moment. "Clarissa?"

"I'm still here," she answered.

3 3 3

Jojo looked at Clarissa. Heddie was standing off in the corner having been told that she couldn't come too close to Clarissa. Jojo rested his hand on Clarissa's forehead. She had a complete fever. Jojo put a cool wet cloth on her head, and she smiled a bit. It felt really good on her head. Jojo bundled her up in a bunch of blankets. On her bedside he put a glass of water and a glass of orange juice. Clarissa looked a mess. Her hair was matted and tangled. She had dark circles under her eyes. There was a thin sheen of sweat covering her face and her nose would continually run. Jojo was worried though. She couldn't eat, or so she claimed. She couldn't bring herself to eat anything, but Jojo soon made her. He fed her. Heddie got a kick out of that.

"You didn't have to do this you know," Clarissa said, drowsy from the medicine she'd taken earlier. She looked up at him from her bed.

"I know," he said pulling covers over her chin. He wanted to be sure she stayed covered and wouldn't kick the covers off in her sleep, but could still get out quickly if she needed to run to the bathroom. Jojo was prepared for that too. He'd set up two glasses of water, one to rinse out her mouth the other to soothe her throat.

A few hours had past, and Jojo was playing with Heddie when he heard rushed footsteps heading down the hall away from them, followed by the sickening sound of glop hitting water. Jojo shuddered before getting the two glasses of water and putting ice in one glass. Jojo held back Clarissa's hair as she continued to puke. She coughed a bit before her knees gave out. She was clutching the edge of the toilet and her stomach. Her throat was burning and she was fairly dizzy. Jojo wiped her mouth off with a face towel and tossed it aside.

"Rinse," he said handing her a glass of water with maybe an eighth of a glass of water in it. Clarissa did as she was told, and spit the water in the toilet. She gulped down the next glass of water Jojo handed her. She set the glass off to the side and lay on the bathroom floor.

"You can't stay on the bathroom floor, Clarissa. Get up," Jojo said looking down at her. Clarissa merely groaned. Jojo sighed and lifted her up into his arms. She wasn't as heavy as he expected her to be, but she wasn't exactly light either. Jojo carried her bridal style to her room and he laid her in her bed on her side.

"Don't sleep on your back in case you have to throw up again," Jojo said placing a rag on her forehead. Clarissa nodded and looked up at Jojo and tried her best to muster up a smile before sleep claimed her once more.

Heddie looked on as Jojo smiled back and once again saw that something in their gazes and once again forgot it as soon as she thought of it. Heddie hesitantly stepped forward and looked at Clarissa in her disheveled state, and wondered when they'd be able to play together. Clarissa closed her eyes and slept. Heddie looked up at Jojo who took his eyes off of Clarissa to look at Heddie. He smiled and Heddie smiled back.

"So what do you want to do next?" Jojo asked Heddie. She smiled at him.

3 3 3

Clarissa was up and about the next day. Her throat didn't hurt nearly as much, only when she swallowed food, but not to talk. Jojo didn't stay overnight and just came back early the next day. Heddie wanted to come too. Heddie told her everything she and Jojo played while Clarissa slept. She told her about how yesterday she sounded and _looked_ sick, and Clarissa went on pretending that she didn't know these things and pretended to be interested. Jojo knew it wasn't the easiest thing in the world to do, so he was glad she could handle it. Jojo liked the fact that he had a friend who could easily get along with his baby sister. He liked a lot of things about Clarissa. Her flaws were her stubbornness and she could be a little slow at times. Her best quality was her individuality. She was different from everyone else. Jojo smiled at her as she played with Heddie. '_Maybe it's time_…,' Jojo thought to himself, '_I'll show her when she's better though_.' Clarissa still couldn't leave her house, but Heddie didn't completely mind. She just put on plays for Clarissa, usually involving Jojo having to be a horse, a servant, a prince, a cook, a maid, a dog, and Queen Heddie's trusted advisor. Jojo didn't mind playing with his baby sister. Clarissa laughed. The light, airy yet still strong and resilient sound was music to anyone's ears. It spread quickly into Heddie and they were all laughing with Heddie clutching her stomach rolling on the floor. Jojo lay sprawled out on the floor laughing while Clarissa continued to laugh as she sat on the couch. Finally the laughter died down and they sat in silence for all of two seconds. Heddie broke the silence by telling Jojo, "Royal advisor, bring my pony." Jojo pretended to leave the room and came back to Heddie on all fours. Heddie crawled on his back and Jojo crawled around in a big circle around the room. Clarissa was smiling. How precious Heddie was! What a wonderful big brother Jojo was! Clarissa leaned forward, placing her elbows on her thighs and putting her face in her palms. Clarissa gave a charming smile, looking up through her lashes, unaware of the power that look would have when she got older.

Clarissa was a little upset when it came time for Jojo and Heddie to say goodbye. She loved to spend time with them. What'd she do to deserve such good friends? She often wondered this. Heddie was interesting, creative, imaginative, and very colorful. Jojo was quiet and patient and supportive. Clarissa loved it when she saw, underneath Jojo's black and gray fur, a very colorful and vibrant who. She felt special because this wasn't a side of him he would show to just anyone. Little did she know that in a few days she was going to see a side of Jojo no one really ever saw. She would see when Jojo was undoubtedly happy. She would see when Jojo was more than just the mayor's son. She would finally see Jojo for who he really was. Or at least that's what Jojo thought. Clarissa already saw who Jojo really was, and she liked him. He was, after all, her best and only friend.

Clarissa went up to her room, lay on her bed, and sighed to herself. '_Being sick sucks_,' Clarissa thought to herself. She and Jojo could've dropped Heddie off at his house and went to hang out somewhere. She wasn't tired. How could she be? She'd been sitting and lying around all day. Clarissa stared up at her ceiling. She lay absolutely still. She was waiting for possible inspiration for a song to hit. She sighed again and glared at the ceiling as if it were the reason she couldn't think of anything. She rolled over onto her stomach, reached under her pillow, and pulled out a little, lime green book. She couldn't think of anything else to do instead of record her day. Yes, she had a diary. She was glad Jojo never noticed while he was over. She worried sometimes that her book might be showing form underneath her pillow whenever she shifted into a new position. Clarissa wrote about the many plays Heddie had put on for her and how Jojo had to play almost all of the parts. As Clarissa wrote she heard the front door open and close.

"I'm home," came the voice of Clarissa's mother. Clarissa dropped her pencil and slowly got off the bed. Numbly, she dragged her feet as she walked down the carpeted floor. Clarissa looked into the front room of her house and there stood a who with the same dark brown fur her brothers had. Clarissa couldn't escape the thought of her dad since she was the only one in her family with his blue fur.

"Hi mom," she said in a monotone voice.

"Where're your brothers," she asked looking around for them.

"Out," she said while rolling her eyes. '_Like they always are when you're coming home_,' Clarissa thought. It was true. Her brothers only hosted parties when her mom wasn't around.

"They left you at home by yourself? You're only thirteen," she said looking surprised but the look didn't last long before she answered her business cell phone. Clarissa rolled her eyes and trudged back to her room. '_I'm fourteen_,' Clarissa thought angrily before enclosing herself in her room.

Jojo was sitting on the couch watching his dad talk about being mayor, but he wasn't listening. His dad paraded around, making sound effects, and acting out mayoral duties. It made Jojo think of the time Clarissa spent the night. 'Why don't you just tell him you don't want to be mayor?' she had asked him, and he remembered his answer. 'I don't want to disappoint him…. It's not just something you can walk to a person and say. 'Hey, dad, I know you'll be unbelievably disappointed when I tell you this, but I don't want to be mayor!' It's not that simple,' he retorted. 'Nothing ever is,' she'd replied. He was reminded of the sadness mixed into her reply. Again he wondered what it could have meant. Was it something to do with her mom or dad or her brothers? Jojo shook his head and pushed it aside. His dad was still rambling on about all that being a mayor entailed. Jojo rolled his eyes and looked away from his dad, hoping ,in vain, that his dad would understand and give up in trying to force being mayor on him. For years Jojo's dad didn't understand so Jojo began to wonder why he expected his dad to understand _now_.


	7. Chapter 7

Clarissa lay down in the grass in the park after school. She was scribbling things down in her diary. Jojo said he'd try to catch up with her later. She wondered and wrote about what she wondered. What would her first kiss be like? Who would her first boyfriend be? Green eyes flashed in front of her eyes, and she smiled and let a pink blush tint her cheeks.

"What're you writing?" Clarissa was startled out of her reverie by Jojo's voice. She looked up into the light brown eyes of Jojo. She grinned a bit.

"Nothing," she said nonchalantly. Jojo shrugged. Clarissa picked herself of the ground and brushed off her fur.

"What next?" she asked. Jojo cocked an eyebrow at her. She could be strange at times, but she knew that. Something would cause a reaction in her and a half a second later something completely different would run through her mind. Clarissa picked up her diary.

"I want to show you something. I don't normally show it to anyone, but you're my friend. I want to show you," Jojo explained. He grabbed her hand and began to lead her away. Jojo let go of her hand about half way to where he was leading her. Exhilaration shot through Clarissa as she made her way up to the observatory. Jojo had a unique way of going there, but then again, it was the only way to get there. Clarissa's eyes widened in amazement as she looked at the old observatory and all that was in it, and Jojo had even started it all up yet.

"Whoa. Jojo… How did…You…Amazing!" Clarissa was stumbling and tripping over her words until she had found the perfect one to fit what she thought of his creation. Jojo smirked. Clarissa was breathless once everything was working. She smiled and closed her eyes and held her head back as she took in all the sounds of the observatory. She loved music. That void she had was almost filled. The gaping hole she had was filling up. Two-thirds of it was full. Suddenly a thought occurred to her.

"What do you think?" Jojo asked, not really caring rather she liked it or not but at the same time hoping she found it just as special as he did.

"Jojo…," she began, she trailed off looking into his brown eyes his gaze was passionate. She looked away. "It's great," she said not daring to look at him.

"It's okay if you don't like it," Jojo said the tiniest hint of disappointment in his voice. Clarissa picked up on it and looked back at Jojo, her gaze becoming deep as she spoke.

"Jojo, I love it," she said. Jojo eyes were burning and passionate, but this time she didn't look away. A connection was made then and there. They both felt it, but it was too intricate for them to understand. At least that's what they thought when the feeling bubbled up, but in truth, though they didn't know it yet, the meaning was simple. Jojo blinked a second later and the moment was gone. Clarissa looked out at everything as it worked. How she loved it all! Jojo looked at Clarissa a second longer before looking at his work, unbeknownst to him that his eyes had softened while looking at her. Jojo and Clarissa left the observatory late that night, laughing and joking as they did. They stumbled down the steps, laughing and giggling. Jojo couldn't help laughing because of Clarissa's infectious laughter and he was having fun. Clarissa was laughing because she felt lighter than air at that moment, all troubles forgotten. Clarissa had the elated sense of euphoria until she reached her home when she looked in the mirror, saw her dark, blue fur, and was reminded of what she still had to be unhappy about.

Jojo walked up the stairs to his room, whistling a tune, and smiling to himself. He had a slight skip to his step which his sisters found strange considering he never seemed so happy before. Jojo rounded the corner of the hallway that led to his room.

"Hey son," Ned Mcdodd greeted his son, and Jojo smiled, genuinely smiled, to the surprise of his dad who hadn't seen Jojo actually smile since their big adventure with Horton the Elephant. Jojo closed the door of his room once he entered. He put on some music, hopped onto his bed and hummed along. He was implausibly happy.

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Clarissa's heart was pounding in her chest like someone playing a drum off beat. Marcus, the green eyed who she had a crush on, had asked her out. She said yes of course, but it was her first date. She was nervous. Jojo said she'd be fine, but this wasn't like chorus class. Jojo couldn't be there to silently cheer her on. Clarissa was sitting in the booth of an ice cream parlor on the edge of town waiting for her date to arrive. Then she saw him. '_Why on earth would he want to ask me out_?' Clarissa thought. She was an outcast at her school, and he was risking any status of popularity he had to go out with her. He must like her a lot more than she thought. He sauntered over with such confidence Clarissa became insecure. Her own confidence had left her. Clarissa looked down and brushed a nonexistent hair from her face.

"Hey, Clarissa," his soft smooth voice came. Clarissa looked up and gave him a small, timid smile.

"Hi," came her small voice. She looked up at him through her lashes. The full beauty of that look was yet to come, but the gaze she had now contained a preview of it. Marcus smiled a warm smile, his enthralling, green eyes dancing with mischief. He felt he had definitely chosen the right girl to ask out. Marcus sat down across from her. Clarissa wasn't sure what to start a conversation off with. He wasn't like Jojo. Or at least she didn't think he was. She couldn't just ramble on and on about music. There was no need to. Marcus went on and on about sports until the waiter came, and Clarissa sat quietly watching him and pretending she knew what he was talking about. In truth, Clarissa didn't like sports, but she was putting up with it because she _really_ liked Marcus.

"So what'll it be you two?" A waitress asked. She was an unbelievably skinny blonde who. She had black eyes framed by thin lashes. She was graceful and confident and she was ticking Clarissa off because the waitress was also making flirtatious gestures at Marcus.

"I'll let my _date_ decide," Marcus said emphasizing the word date to show he wasn't interested in anyone but Clarissa.

"Chocolate sundae?" Clarissa asked more than stated.

"Well you heard the little lady," Marcus addressed the waitress, "One chocolate sundae."

The waitress's lips formed a tight line as she wrote the order down on a notepad.

"Will that be all?" she asked. Marcus looked at Clarissa who nodded tentatively. The waitress nodded and left. Much to Clarissa's dismay, Marcus restarted the conversation on sports and kept rambling about it until the order came.

Clarissa stiffened as the two walked. What caused her to stiffen? Marcus had put his arm around her. They were walking down the sidewalk and were almost to Clarissa's house. They paused at the door and faced each other. Marcus smiled an affectionate smile. Clarissa looked up at him. He was looking at her expectantly. '_He's gonna kiss me!_' Clarissa kept repeating this in her head. Marcus closed his eyes and leaned in for a kiss. Clarissa stood on her toes to make it easier for him. '_I'm going to get my first kiss_,' she thought happily, but then the light flickered on and Clarissa's mom stepped out the door.

"Thank you for bringing her home," Clarissa's mom said. Marcus just smiled a charming smile.

"You're welcome," he said before planting a small peck on Clarissa's cheek. Marcus turned on his heel and left. Clarissa followed her mom back into the house. She was scowling. '_I _almost_ had my first kiss. Way to go, Mom_,' she thought.

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"So how was it?" Jojo asked at lunch the next day. Clarissa was glaring at her food.

"It was almost perfect," she mumbled. She looked at Jojo who raised an eyebrow at her as if he was asking her "Why _almost_ perfect? What happened?"

"He could only talk about sports, and when I was about to get my first kiss my mom interrupted," Clarissa explained, stabbing her meatloaf with a spork repeatedly. Jojo watched her for a second before responding.

"And stabbing your food helps make it better?" he asked still watching her stab the food.

"No, but it makes me feel better," she grumbled, feeling slightly childish for handling her anger in this way.

"You forgot this in the observatory the other day," Jojo said handing her diary to her. "I didn't read it, so don't worry," He added quickly. Clarissa smiled. She trusted Jojo not to read it, and believed him when he said so.

"Thanks," she said putting it in her book bag.

"Where was your mom anyway?" Jojo asked, sort of reopening the subject they'd discussed days before.

"She was out of town. She normally is," Clarissa said testily, "How's the whole 'I don't want to be mayor' thing working out for you?" She asked just to put him in the somewhat same position he'd put her in by asking about her mom.

Jojo lowered his gaze. He shrugged. He did feel he should talk to his dad, but he hated to be the bearer of bad news. What was that old phrase? Don't shoot the messenger? He couldn't remember a time anyone hadn't. They always shot the messenger.

"Would you just tell him already?" Clarissa said pressing forward and rolling her eyes.

"I'll talk to my dad if you really tell me what's going on with your family," Jojo bargained.  
"You won't. But if you must know… my mom doesn't exactly pay attention to me and my brothers," Clarissa said. Jojo knew he wasn't going to get anything else out of her so he let it go.

"At least your mom isn't as suffocating as my dad," he muttered. Clarissa scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"I _wish_ my mom would be unbearably suffocating just _once_ instead of being stuck to her work," Clarissa sat back in her chair and crossed her arms, her eyes downcast.

"Maybe it's really important."

"It didn't used to be," Clarissa said slouching a little bit. Jojo wondered to himself just how deep and far back this problem of hers went. Clarissa looked Jojo in the eye, a frown on her face. "Why do you care?" This question took Jojo back. Why _did_ he care? It wasn't his family. It wasn't his business.

"You're my friend," he said simply not in the least intimidated by her glare. After all it wasn't him she was mad at, and he knew that. Clarissa's glare fell from her face. Her eyes softened to the point where the icy lavender seemed to turn into little puddles of lilac. Jojo found himself lost in them. His eyes softened. Clarissa looked away. His eyes were burning into her eyes with a passion hidden in them. It was the same passion in his eyes she'd seen in the observatory, but only a fraction of it was there. She looked back at him, this time looking regretful.

"I'm sorry," she said, biting her lip, "It's not your fault." Jojo raised both his eyebrows. She looked on the verge of tears. When she stopped biting her lip he could see that it was quivering.

"It's okay. If you want to talk about it…," Jojo said, unsure what to make of her mood swings. Clarissa shook her head vigorously. It was obvious to Jojo this thing had been hidden for a long time. Jojo nodded. He leaned forward and brushed a single tear, which had escaped her eye, from her face.

"It'll be okay," Jojo said. Clarissa bit her lip again and nodded slowly, not breaking her gaze with him. She blinked back the rest of her tears. '_I hope you're right, Jojo_,' she thought. Jojo gave a small nod showing that he was there if she ever needed him.

"You really are my best friend," she said wrapping her arms around his neck in an awkward hug, awkward considering it was over the table. He hugged back for a second before releasing her and settling all the way back in his chair. '_You're my best friend too_," Jojo thought. The two friends sat in silence for the remainder of lunch, eating and exchanging small smiles. This year was certainly different from the ones both had experienced throughout the earlier years of their lives.


	8. Chapter 8

To someone who didn't know them they'd of thought Jojo and Clarissa was a couple. Clarissa and Jojo sat on a couch in the living room. It was fairly dark since the sun was setting outside and neither of them had bothered to get up and turn on a light. Clarissa was leaning on Jojo staring ahead at the T.V. They were watching a movie. Jojo had his arm slung casually on the back of the couch behind Clarissa. Yes, anyone who didn't know the two would have thought they were dating, but those who knew them knew they weren't. For them, this was casual behavior, normality. It was a lazy day for the both of them. Clarissa had a date with Marcus later on, but until then she opted to hang with Jojo. He didn't mind. He'd had nothing to do anyway. They laughed at comedy, cringed at blood and gore, and rolled their eyes at mushy romance. Clarissa had a boyfriend, but she didn't make big googly eyes or drool over him or give stupid pet names. Clarissa did have a nickname, but it was given to her by Jojo. He didn't use the nickname all the time, but he'd taken to calling her that just as she'd taken to responding to it. It wasn't a stupid name either, Claire.

Jojo stood up and turned on the light once the movie had gone off. They blinked, waiting for their eyes to adjust. Jojo looked at the clock. They still had a few hours to kill before Clarissa had to leave. Clarissa looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"What do you want to do next?" he asked before blowing strands of black hair from in front of his eyes. Clarissa tilted her head a bit. Inexplicably, to her anyway, she always found that it was somewhat adorable when he blew his hair out of his eyes. She shrugged.

"You decide," she said finally after a moment of silence. Jojo deliberated on this for a minute.

"Do you want to take a walk?" he finally asked. Wordlessly, Clarissa got up from the couch and followed Jojo out of the room and out of his house. They'd have been at Clarissa's house but Clarissa, earlier, had admitted to Jojo, over the phone, sheepishly that she hadn't gotten around to telling her mom about him. She then added that she didn't want to be around her mom at the time anyway. Jojo knew this wasn't true. Based on the conversation they'd had the day before Clarissa would love to hang out with her mom sometime. However, Jojo didn't bring it up.

Jojo and Clarissa were walking down the street eating ice cream and talking. What about? Nothing in particular seemed to be the subject. The topic of the conversation seemed to drift from one thing to another. They talked about what they thought the school year would be like and what they hoped would happen. Finally the topic landed on what life would be like once they were in adult hood. The conversation focused mostly on Clarissa. Clarissa tried to push the conversation to what Jojo wanted to be, but Jojo continually steered the conversation back to her and her future song writing career.

"Jojo, how come you don't trust me enough to just tell me what you want to be when you grow up?" Clarissa finally asked, quite tired of Jojo's constant use of circumlocution.

"Claire, it's not that I don't trust you… to tell the truth, I don't know why I won't tell. Do you have to know that badly?" he asked looking at her. Amusement twinkled in his eyes as looked at her. She looked excited enough to explode. She nodded enthusiastically. He chuckled.

"I want to be a musician," he said smiling as her expression grew from excited to ecstatic.

"This is so cool! We could work together," and she went on and on and on about it and what they could do. Jojo just smiled, shook his head and chuckled a bit. She was like a kid. Her eyes twinkled like a kid and her face was aglow as she imagined and fantasized about her dreams and hopes. Finally after she'd said all that she had to say, she calmed down and they both had a good laugh. They were both a little sad though. In truth, they'd both chosen risky careers. Neither one ensured a happy future. It would be pure luck and chance if either of them could launch their career of choice. It was that uncertainty that made them wonder if all Clarissa had said could truly happen.

Once they'd finished their ice cream, Jojo walked Clarissa so she could get ready for her date. Clarissa waved goodbye to Jojo from the front steps of her house until he was out of sight.

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Clarissa had asked Friday she could stay at Jojo's house until Saturday. She said she needed to get out of the house. She'd called Jojo up over the phone and told him she had to. Jojo was a little worried. She sounded like she was upset.

Clarissa sat on Jojo's bed with knees pulled up to her chest. She was biting her lip and staring down instead of looking at Jojo who sat across from her, waiting patiently for her to say what she needed to. Minutes passed and she still said nothing. Then she looked up at Jojo. She didn't meet his eyes, she didn't think she could.

"I told you my mom's never around," she began, Jojo nodded. "I talked to her about it, and… we got into a fight. She never used to be out of town so much, and when she was home she was always working or out somewhere. I asked her why she didn't spend time with us anymore. She said it wasn't any of my business, but I told her it was. She got mad, and she yelled that she couldn't stand to be around the reminder of my father. She said it was the reason her husband wasn't around. She told me to leave, so I went to my room and that's when I called you." Clarissa looked Jojo in the eye to see if he thought she was the one who was wrong or her mother, but his expression remained blank. Clarissa looked back down.

"I don't look like my mother. You've seen my brothers. They all have dark brown fur. My mom has that same fur. They all have blue eyes, but mine are light purple. When she said she didn't want to be around the reminder… I think she was talking about me," Clarissa's eyes began to fill with tears.

"What happened to your dad?" Jojo said finally speaking.

"That's what I don't know. She won't tell me anything. I don't know why. It's not like I'm not hurt by all this. I feel unwanted," Clarissa said, tears now running freely down her cheeks. Jojo got a tissue and wiped Clarissa's tears away.

"You're not unwanted. Your mom just doesn't know that she hurts you. She doesn't realize she's doing it. Just tell her how you feel."

"I don't want to talk to her anymore," Clarissa said sniffling and holding back sobs. Clarissa was a little surprised when she felt herself being pulled into a hug, but she hugged Jojo back nonetheless. She just leaned on Jojo for the next few minutes, his arms were wrapped around her, and he whispered that it'd be okay. Clarissa enjoyed the momentary warmth of Jojo's body. She quieted down and her sobs diminished. They sat there for a bit and Jojo rested his head on top of Clarissa's. She didn't mind. She was glad to have Jojo. To Jojo's slight surprise she snuggled deeper into his chest, and he smiled a bit. They were content, but all good things come to an end. They closed their eyes and were unaware when Heddie walked in. She stared at the two out of curiosity and didn't say anything. She didn't want them to stop. There was something between the two she didn't understand, but it was there and she saw it. Heddie walked back out of the room not wanting to interrupt the two.

"Jojo," Sally called from down the hall. Jojo let go of Clarissa and missed her warmth immediately. The feeling was mutual. "We ordered pizza. Come grab a box for you and Clarissa before your sisters take it all," Sally yelled. Jojo got up off of his bed and out the room. Heddie walked in. Clarissa smiled.

"Your eyes are puffy," Heddie stated bluntly. When she understood it, Heddie was very straight forward, much like Jojo. Clarissa picked Heddie up and set her in her lap and Heddie began to tell her about her day. She'd forgotten the intimacy she'd seen between Jojo and Clarissa mere minutes before, but when you were as young as Heddie your attention span didn't stretch very far. Jojo returned carrying a box of pizza and smiled upon seeing Heddie. Heddie smiled back and Clarissa placed her on the floor so she could run over and hug her big brother. Jojo, with Heddie still clinging to his leg, walked over to the bed and handed Clarissa the pizza. Jojo picked up Heddie and set her between him and Clarissa. Clarissa took a big bite of her pizza. She felt better having finally talked about her problems, but she wasn't quite at ease. There were still bits and pieces of the puzzle to fill in. Jojo was wondering how she felt about the whole situation. She seemed fine, but was she? Jojo ate his pizza in silence while Heddie told what it was like at school. However Jojo was remembering that moment he'd shared with Clarissa. It felt nice, holding her, and a part of him wanted to do it again. It was a small part though, and it was a part he didn't acknowledge. All he knew was that the same unnamable, mysterious feeling he'd had in the observatory the night he brought Clarissa there. He brushed it aside and finally tuned in to what his sister was saying. She was talking about recess and being a superhero that saved the day. She used her arms and made sound effects emphasizing her adventure. She was sweet and innocent and Jojo loved her.

Sally came in a few hours later to take Heddie to bed. Heddie didn't want to leave, but her mom said she had to. Reluctantly, Heddie followed her mom out of Jojo's room.

"So how are things between you and Marcus going?" Jojo asked, smirking and raising an eyebrow suggestively. Clarissa grinned, looked down, and blushed a deep shade of ruby red. Jojo chuckled.

"I still haven't gotten my first kiss, but the saying goes that good things are worth waiting for," she said animatedly. Clarissa looked at Jojo a stunning smile on her lips. For the first time Jojo saw her as pretty. He had never paid any attention to her looks other than when he gave her the headband to keep her bangs back, but at that moment he noticed how she looked. Jojo loved watching her smile and loved to see her happy.

"Have you seen anyone _you_ like at school or around town?" Clarissa said, still smiling and tilting her head to the side. Jojo shook his head. He didn't want anybody. A few minutes passed and nothing more was said between the two.

"Okay you two," Sally said standing in the doorway of Jojo's room, "Lights out. Get ready for bed." She walked away. Jojo and Clarissa took turns using the bathroom to brush their teeth. Jojo turned the light out in his room, but neither one of them slept. They crept down the darkened hallway. Clarissa was giggling quietly and though Jojo shushed her he couldn't help but giggle and chuckle himself. They slipped out the window and climbed down the tree just outside of it. Finally out of the house and able to laugh without having to control their volume, they did just that. They laughed all the way up to the first part of getting to the observatory. Clarissa loved the exhilaration of gilding along in the bucket and drifting through the air to the steps of the observatory where Jojo who goes before she does catches her in his arms and balances her so she won't fall, but she loved the music Jojo made the most.


	9. Chapter 9

Jojo and Clarissa returned to the house the same way they left it, laughing and giddy and happy. Jojo put his hand over Clarissa's mouth so she wouldn't burst out laughing once she climbed through the window. The moonlight coming in through the window behind Clarissa caught Jojo's eyes and made them seem to illuminate, showing off his auburn eyes. Clarissa's giggles quieted immediately. Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened a bit, but softened. Jojo removed his hand and stepped into the shadows, and Clarissa snapped out of her trance. They snuck back into Jojo's room and quickly fell into deep sleeps.

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_Clarissa was running down a long corridor trying to catch up with a man, but ran smack into a glass wall. Clarissa put her hands on the glass. The man smiled down at her. He had the same dark blue fur as her and even the same lavender eyes_

"_Clarissa," he called, "Come." He turned and began to walk away toward a door at the end of the corridor._

"_Wait," Clarissa said banging on the glass, "Daddy! Daddy! Don't leave me!" Clarissa was yelling and screaming at the top of her lungs and hitting the glass. But she was too late he'd disappeared. Clarissa continued to bang on the glass until finally it broke through. Clarissa fell onto the broken glass and threw a tantrum. She kicked and screamed that it wasn't fair all the while the glass cut her and she bled, but she couldn't have cared less._

"_NO! NO! COME BACK," she yelled to no one. She heard a voice calling her name. It sounded like the voice of the man who was supposed to be her father. Slowly the voice distorted into Jojo's voice._

"_Claire! Claire! Clarissa wake up," he said frantically._

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Clarissa woke up with tears streaming down her face. Jojo was holding her shoulders looking worried. Clarissa bit her lip, her body shuddering. Jojo immediately hugged her close to him and she cried in his chest and wrapped her arms around him. She needed help to get through this, that much Jojo knew, and at that moment Jojo silently promised to help her get through it.

"I'll always be there for you," Jojo said hugging Clarissa closer once her sobs quieted down. Jojo just held her there. It was dark, and they sat there in silence not minding it. They were too busy enjoying each other. Clarissa did something bold. She leaned up and kissed Jojo on the cheek. He hadn't been expecting that or the tingling that lingered even when her lips had left his face.

"Thank you," she said.

"Do you want me to go now?" Jojo asked. Clarissa shook her head. Jojo sighed and lay down on the bed. He'd originally been sleeping on an inflatable mattress. Clarissa lay down next to him and stared at him. She could barely make out his silhouette and the features of his face. She could tell he was staring back at her. He moved some stray hairs from her face. She gave a small smile, but she was sure he couldn't see it in the dark. Slowly, tentatively, she closed her eyes. Jojo's words echoed in her mind as she drifted off into a more peaceful sleep. _I'll always be there for you_. '_I'll be there for you too, no matter what,_' Clarissa silently promised.

Jojo continued to stare at Clarissa even as she slept. The tingling had yet to leave his cheek. His mind was clouded and he was confused. Numerous feelings had bubbled up inside him, but the biggest one was confusion. Confusion wasn't something felt often, so he wasn't used to feeling it. He relived that kiss with Clarissa in his mind. He felt his heart jump into his throat. He swallowed it back down, but it started beating like crazy in his chest. Jojo turned on his side and faced away from Clarissa. '_What does all this mean?_' he asked himself. Confusion clouded his mind even more. He closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep. It took a while but he found sleep and welcomed it whole heartedly. Jojo had always been sure of how he felt, but now he wasn't so sure.

Sunlight filtered in through a small window and onto Jojo's face. He groaned, not ready to wake up yet and pulled the covers over his head. He slowly drifted back to sleep. Clarissa, on the other hand, was up and about, playing with Heddie and occasionally talking to his sisters. She was eating in the kitchen by herself at the moment. Ned and Sally hadn't wanted to overwhelm her with the moving chairs in the dining room. Sally was a stay at home mom, so when Heddie was at one of her little friends' houses and so were the other girls after breakfast she opted to entertain Clarissa. This meant looking at the pictures of Jojo's mayoral ancestors and some of Jojo's pictures when he was younger.

'_Would it have killed Jojo to smile in his pictures_?' Clarissa thought to herself. She loved Jojo's baby pictures.

It wasn't long before Jojo strolled casually into the living room where Sally and Clarissa were looking at his baby pictures. He stood in the door way giving Clarissa a curious look. She looked at one of his baby pictures. It was him tinier than ever and in a tiny bathtub staring directly at the camera, big brown eyes wide with wonder, probably wondering what the camera pointed in his face was. So far it was her favorite picture. Jojo looked at the picture and turned a deep shade of crimson. Clarissa just giggled at his expression. Jojo looked at her his face seemingly turning deeper shades of red.

"You're so adorable," Clarissa said looking back at the picture, but she thought he was cute blushing too but why not just keep that little tidbit of info to herself. Jojo groaned and lay down on the couch, putting a throw pillow over his face. Clarissa just rolled her eyes and smiled. That's when her whophone rang.

"Hellooooo," she said in to the phone. Jojo peeked from behind the pillow at her expression only to see it light up. Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink. '_I'm guessing it's her boyfriend_,' Jojo thought.

"Hey Marcus," she said enthusiastically. She was absolutely crazy about Marcus, but she wasn't one of those girls who couldn't stop bragging about her boyfriend. She didn't get jealous when she saw other girls flirt with him because he always seemed so devoted to her and her alone. '_I hope he doesn't EVER hurt her. He better not hurt her_,' thought Jojo somewhat protectively. Clarissa got this dreamy look on her face. That was the most she ever openly swooned. Clarissa wasn't one to make a show of things. Clarissa's expression changed to one of surprise then confusion then her face went blank. She shook her head a bit.

"Well…," she started sounding strange, "We'll see. I have to go. 'Kay. Love you too. Bye." Her brow furrowed, almost as if she were trying to decide what expression to make next. Finally, her face settled on worry.

"Is everything alright, Dear?" asked Sally also noticing Clarissa's many expressions. Clarissa's face twisted into one of confusion.

"I...think it is…," she said, her voice somewhat strange. Jojo stood up and looked at Clarissa. She met his eyes. Jojo lightly motioned his head toward the door. Clarissa stood from the couch waved goodbye to Sally and followed Jojo out of the room. Jojo gave Clarissa a look asking her what was wrong. She shook her head, grabbed his hand, and led him out of the house and to the park releasing his hand once they were out of the house of course.

"He wants me," was all Clarissa could say at the moment. After a minute maybe two she started again. "I don't know why. We haven't even had our first kiss." Jojo gave her an "are-you-serious" look? Clarissa gave an exasperated sigh. "No, Jojo, I still haven't had my first kiss. Every time we're about o something happens to get in the way, but back to the matter at hand."

"What're you gonna do?" Jojo asked. Clarissa shrugged.

"I don't want to disappoint him because, honestly, I'm not ready, not yet. I actually prefer to stay a virgin until after marriage. Call me old fashioned, but that's the way it is." Jojo didn't think it old fashioned at all, well, maybe a little but he thought it was a good moral to live by. He didn't to until after marriage either.

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The day, Sunday, Clarissa told Marcus she didn't want to do "it" she was sure that there'd be no problems. Marcus had seemed to have no problem with her decision. It wasn't until weeks later that Clarissa had discovered why he was alright with it, and she did not like what she saw. During the time she didn't know about what was going on behind her back, she noticed strange behavior in her personal tormentor. Clarissa didn't know what to think about how Harriet Herbert always gave her smug smiles, showing she knew some dark secret Clarissa had no knowledge of. Clarissa didn't care about it though. She'd never cared about what "The Populars" thought of her. All she was sure of was that she was falling head over heels in love with Marcus. He was always so sweet and considerate and never once asked her if she wanted to do "it" with him again. She was sure he was perfect.

Meanwhile, Jojo was developing crushes of his own. He liked a blonde who that sat in his whostory class. She had honey blonde fur with darker shades of dirty blonde hair and she had electric blue eyes. She knew he liked her and sent little flirtations his way every now and again. She was waiting for him to ask her out, but something told Jojo that she didn't want to go out with him. Clarissa explained to him that she _was_ flirting with him, but being a boy he was just too dense to notice. The day, Monday, Jojo asked her out was one Clarissa would never forget.

"Do it," Clarissa urged nodding her head in the direction of, Kayla, the blonde who Jojo had a crush on. Jojo just looked at Kayla longingly. Clarissa glared at him. Finally tearing his gaze from Kayla, he flinched at the annoyed gaze coming from Clarissa. She raised an eyebrow at him expectantly and crossed her arms over her chest. Jojo sighed, gulped, stood and walked over to Kayla to ask her out. Two minutes later Jojo came back smiling triumphantly and explained to Clarissa that he had a date with Kayla Friday. Clarissa smiled a smug "I-told-you-so" smiled.

"Now if you'll excuse me I have a boyfriend I want to kiss," she said. Clarissa walked down the halls of the school searching for Marcus among the crowds. As she entered the stairwell to go check the schools upper levels she saw something she didn't expect. Clarissa silently turned around and walked down the halls, a blank look on her face. She didn't go back to find Jojo to tell him what happened she merely headed to her next class. Clarissa, friend that she was, didn't let Jojo know what had happened until after his date with Kayla. She didn't need or want him feeling bad for her when he had, in her opinion, more important things to think about. She didn't think she could go to Marcus and say what she needed to say. Before she'd been so sure he was perfect, she was sure he would never hurt her, she was sure she was in love with him, and that he loved her back.

Clarissa was alone in the park the Friday Jojo was on his date. She was trying to figure out how to phrase what she was going to say to Marcus. When she finished planning it out in her head she thought that it was simple and made complete sense to get her point across. If only she had used that plan, but she handled it in a completely different way.


	10. Chapter 10

Clarissa stopped trying to talk to her mom. She wasn't as talkative with Jojo, but he now had a girlfriend to occupy so it didn't matter. She was slowly but surely slipping into a depression that she had no intention of trying to pull herself out of. She knew she was being melodramatic, but feeling pain was better than being numb and feeling nothing in her opinion. At least she kept everything to herself by not wrapping anybody else up in her drama.

"Come on, Baby," Marcus pleaded.

"I'm not your baby," Clarissa snapped, "And no, I'm not taking you back. You cheated on me and with _Harriet_ no less." Venom dripped into her every word. She said all these things, but she did want to take him back.

"Come on, just…let me take you to the whocentennial," he pleaded.

"Just tell me this, Marcus. _Why_ did you cheat on me? What did I do wrong?"

"It's not what you did…. It's what you didn't do. Harriet…she lets me do things to her. You said you didn't want to and that you weren't ready. She- she tempted me, and I wanted to so bad, so I did. But I still like you… a lot. Please just, let me make it up to you." Clarissa didn't know what to say to this. She knew she didn't want to say no, and she knew she didn't want to say yes. She didn't even want to give him the satisfaction of thinking there was a chance that she'd say yes, but she did.

"I'll think about it," she said, "But I still won't give you what you want."

"Right now all I want is for to be my girlfriend again…," he said in a small voice. He sounded like he meant it, but she couldn't really be sure.

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Clarissa was busy dancing all around the dance floor while giant speakers blasted loud hip-hop music throughout Whoville. She had to admit she was having fun hanging out with Marcus. Even though Harriet flirted with him he ignored her and only paid attention to Clarissa. She was becoming convinced. Then she saw Jojo and Kayla walking hand in hand.

"JOJO, KAYLA! COME DANCE WITH US," Clarissa yelled over the loud music and waved them over. Jojo waved back began to dance with Clarissa. Clarissa couldn't seem to stop laughing she was having so much fun. Marcus and Jojo laughed too. Kayla on the other hand was trying to snag Jojo's attention back to her. Marcus moved in closer to Clarissa. Jojo's protectiveness wanted to put some distance in between them, but he didn't intervene. Besides, Kayla had gotten his attention once again. She kissed Jojo on the cheek and he went bright red, and Clarissa laughed at his blush. Jojo had a small smile plastered on his face. Kayla's kiss wasn't anything like Clarissa's the night she came over. Kayla's kiss didn't leave a tingling feeling on his cheek.

The four started trying to outdo each other in dance moves. Marcus ultimately won, but then it turned from serious to silly. Clarissa's sides were hurting from laughing so much. Eventually they left the dance floor. Marcus was supporting Clarissa who was still giggling. Everyone had large smiles plastered onto their faces.

"I'll be right back," Marcus said running off toward one of the many booths set up. There were booths with games and food and trinkets to buy. Marcus came back with a medium sized stuffed who holding a heart that said," I love you."

"Awww… It's sooooo cuuuuute! I love it," she said giving her small smile and peeking up flirtatiously through her lashes. She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek as a gesture that it was sweet not quite because she'd fallen for him. He understood and smiled back down at her looking completely love struck over her and utterly crazy about her. Clarissa's smile spread a little more across her face and light pink blush made its way up to her cheeks though she tried to force it down.

"Wow, you're beautiful," Marcus said. The two were lost for a second.

"Awww… that's so sweet," Kayla said looking at the two. Clarissa hugged the stuffed who tighter, her eyes widened and her blush deepened. She'd completely forgotten about Jojo and Kayla. Jojo raised an eyebrow and smirked at her. '_This is what I get for laughing at him when he blushed_,' she thought reading Jojo's expression with ease.

"Let's get something to eat," Kayla suggested, grabbing Jojo's hand and pulling him along. Clarissa and Marcus followed.

They went to a restaurant not too far from the whocentennial festival, planning to go back later. They sat in a booth table, Kayla and Jojo across from Marcus and Clarissa. A waitress walked up to them, chewing gum and looking uninterested until her eyes landed on Marcus. Her expression immediately changed to one of flirtatiousness. Jojo and Kayla noticed the waitress's reaction to Marcus and looked to see how Clarissa was handling it only to see her roll her eyes. '_Every time we come to a restaurant it's the same thing_,' she thought uninterested. Marcus put an arm around Clarissa's shoulders and pulled her close to him. Clarissa looked at the waitress who shot Clarissa a disgruntled look. Clarissa merely smiled sweetly at her. Smugness was dancing in Clarissa's eyes despite her otherwise innocent expression.

"What'll it be?" the waitress asked winking at Marcus and ignoring Clarissa.

"Clarissa, what do you want?" Marcus emphasizing his interest in whom he was really interested in.

"What do you recommend?" Clarissa asked the waitress in a sweet tone. The waitress just rolled her eyes.

"I don't know," She said rather testily. Clarissa just smiled, shrugged, and gave Marcus one of her signature smiles.

"I guess I'll take a hamburger and fries and a chocolate shake," Clarissa said. The waitress jotted it down.

"I'll have the same," Jojo said.

"I'll have what they're having with extra pickles," Marcus said hugging Clarissa closer and causing her to giggle a bit.

"I'll have a salad," said Kayla twirling a lock of her blonde hair around her finger. The waitress walked away disappointed on having not snagged a boyfriend.

"Do women always flock over your boyfriend like that?" Kayla asked. The conversation immediately captured everyone's attention. Clarissa wasn't sure if she should say Marcus wasn't her boyfriend. She hadn't made official, but at the rate he was going she was leaning toward letting him claim the title as her boyfriend.

"Every time," Clarissa sighed, shaking her head, as if she thought the many girls' attempts were desperate and pathetic, most of which were.

"That must be annoying," Jojo said. There were occasional times when men would try to romance Kayla away to no avail. Clarissa merely nodded at his statement. It was annoying. Clarissa wasn't insecure per say, but rather she didn't give what other girls offered that boys wanted. This wasn't a bad thing, but it left any boy she dated with much to be desired. Maybe that was one of the reasons she was attractive. She didn't just throw all she had out there and that left boys wanting more of her not that they'd ever get it. Kayla wasn't like Clarissa. Though Jojo never asked for it, she hinted that she was more than willing to give it, but Jojo preferred waiting. Kayla _was_ insecure and seemed to need constant reassurance that she was good enough for whoever she tried to impress.

Once the food had come, everyone but Kayla dug in. She nibbled timidly at her salad. But there was nothing Clarissa loved more, food wise, than a good burger and fries. Outside they could still hear the pounding music, and Clarissa was involuntarily tapping out a beat with her fingers on the table and bobbing her head along. Jojo was involuntarily tapping his foot and seemed to be in a world all his own… well, not completely. Clarissa knew this world very well. Kayla noticed the looks they both had, of blissful unawareness of the world around them. Kayla leaned over and kissed Jojo on the cheek and he immediately snapped out of his trance and blushed. He looked to Clarissa to see if she was smirking at him as she had done earlier that day, but saw that she was still in her world. He loved seeing her in that world. The pain that seemed to lurk in the back of her eyes wasn't there and they seemed clear rather than clouded with some unbearable pain. Marcus gently nudged Clarissa's arm, and Jojo tried not to glare at him. He cringed inwardly as he watched the misery cloud her eyes again. Clarissa smiled at Marcus before looking at Jojo. He gave her a small smile. For a fraction of a second Jojo saw the pain leave her eyes before returning.

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They weren't entirely sure how this happened. Something had arisen between them, an unnamable emotion. It wasn't really unnamable. They just didn't know what it was, but they knew something about it just felt so right. They didn't want to tell the other this though. Kayla and Marcus got tired of the whocentennial and left, but Jojo and Clarissa wanted to stay for a little while longer. Now Clarissa had her arms around Jojo's neck and he had his hands on her hips, and they were gently swaying to a slow song.

Clarissa was looking down at the ground, her head tilted to the side. They were unbelievably close. How could something so strange feel so right, so natural? Neither of them knew the answer. Neither of them knew that the answer was staring them in the face. Jojo was looking at Clarissa who wouldn't look at him. She was beautiful. He was thinking this too, but he'd always thought that. Why all of a sudden it seemed even more evident than usual, he didn't know. His heart was thudding in his chest at such a loud volume he was sure Clarissa could hear it, but she couldn't hear it over the thudding of her own. She glanced up at him. His eyes were once again burning with that passion that she had trouble looking at. She tried to look again and this time couldn't tear her eyes away. Their faces were so close. At that moment Jojo was staring at her with such a passion she was sure he was going to kiss her. He might have if Clarissa's whophone didn't start ringing at that very moment. Jojo let out a quiet, somewhat frustrated sigh, yet at the same time he felt relieved. He dropped his arms and she did too. Jojo felt confusion cloud his mind. He was sure that once he stopped holding her the feelings would vanish, but they didn't. They were still there, and he didn't know why. He didn't want them. He liked them however. They felt so good, yet he knew he shouldn't feel them, not for Clarissa. And he pushed the thought away before he had time to really register what it might mean. Maybe, just maybe, he felt something for Clarissa that wasn't friendship but something more. He had a girlfriend and shouldn't feel that way. He knew that, but it was like he couldn't help himself. And to think that mere weeks ago, when Clarissa had asked him how to tell when you thought you had a crush on someone, he was sure he couldn't return those feeling, and now he wasn't so sure he couldn't.

Clarissa's mom had called, telling her to come home because it was getting late.

"I have to get home. My mom says it's getting too late for me to be out," Clarissa explained, hanging up.

"I'll walk you home," Jojo said blowing some stray hairs out of his face.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. At least, that's what Clarissa thought. They were walking down the street. The sidewalk was illuminated by lamp posts placed randomly here and there and the glow of the moon. Jojo and Clarissa walked at a steady pace, occasionally glancing at each other, and at the stars. It was a nice night. Other than the slight breeze that made Clarissa just slightly cold. Jojo had his arm wrapped around her shoulders and had her pulled close to him to try and protect her from the cold as best he could. It was sweet and romantic in her eyes, but that was the problem. It wasn't supposed to feel romantic on any level. She shouldn't feel that way toward her best friend. Having feelings, like the ones she was experiencing around Jojo, for her boyfriend was one thing, but having feelings for your best friend was wrong in her eyes. She tried her best to brush it off as nothing, but it was easier said than done.

"Thanks, Jojo," Clarissa said as they stood facing each other on the front porch of Clarissa's house. She smiled at him, and he smiled back, his eyes softening.

"You're welcome," he said, brushing a strand of hair from her face. As his fingers grazed her fur they felt a current of electricity shoot through the both of them. Jojo gave a small wave of goodbye before turning on his heel and leaving. Clarissa stared after him for a bit before going into her house.

**A/N: Kiss next chapter. just thought I'd let the eager and somewhat impatient ones know. Thnx 4 the reviews! ;-D -L2WR**


	11. Chapter 11

"Clarissa, come here now." It was Clarissa's mom and she sounded none too happy. She didn't quite sound cross or passive but stern and like whatever she decided while thinking it up, whatever it was, was set like concrete. No amount of budging was going to move it or change it.

"Yes, ma'am?" She asked confusedly, not quite sure what was up. She walked into the kitchen where her mom was sitting at the dining table and she noticed her brother was grabbing some iced tea from the fridge. He leaned on the counter, taking his sweet time drinking his tea, eager to hear what he thought would be his sister's punishment. Well, in Clarissa's position it _was_ a punishment, but her mother saw it as something helpful.

"I've noticed that you spend little to no time with your brothers. The time you actually spend with them is all of you insulting each other. I think it's time you spent some quality time with your brothers." Claire's brother choked on his tea. "The next time your brothers go out to a get together with their friends I want you to join them."

"Mom, no," Clarissa all but screamed.

"What she said," her brother just barely managed to choke out.

"I'm your mother no argument."

"You're my mother, but you don't act like it. You're going on about family and bonding when you don't even do that yourself."

"You'll watch your mouth when you're talking to me! You are going to spend some time with your brothers and not with that _Jojo_ person."

"He is not just some _person_, _Mom_. He is my best friend and the first friend I've made since going to high school."

"Well whose fault is that?"

"Right because it's my fault everyone at that school but him treats me like crap! Thanks but I get enough of that from home!"

"You are treated nothing but good in this house!"

"By brothers whose friends make fun of me and they do nothing to defend me, mother who's never home to act like a mother and a dad who I don't even know exist!"

"Wait," Clarissa's brother interrupted, "Clarissa's an _affair child_?"

"Don't call me that!" Clarissa was screaming by this point but she didn't care. Her mother was furious at both Clarissa and her brother for saying what she knew was true but had never wanted to admit out loud to herself.

"Go. To. Bed," she spat, "Both of you, go to bed!"

Clarissa had no trouble complying, running out of the room and up the steps, slamming the door the second she was in her room. She stuffed her head into the pillow.

The Affair Child! That's what he called her. And he was right! What else do you call a kid who was the result of an affair and pretty much broke up a happy family. An affair child. Or mistake. Who ever wanted or stood by her side? No one. Well, almost no one. Jojo did. Why did her heart race and her cheeks heat up every time she thought of him? Deep down she knew why, but she didn't want to admit she had these feelings for him. He had a girlfriend anyway. It would be best to keep the feelings at bay. Not to mention she had a sort of boyfriend. Well there was that "sort of" bit that was thrown in there. Technically she hadn't taken him back so she was technically single, but that brought her back to the previous issue. _She_ was single, but Jojo was not.

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It had taken some major convincing and some IOUs, but Clarissa had finally got Jojo to agree to go to the party her brothers were dragging her off to. She also apologized in advance about the hell she'd be putting him through, and as Jojo and Claire walked up the steps leading to the front door they wondered just exactly what they were getting into, unbeknownst to them that what happened in there would change everything.

Kayla was on the dance floor being flirtatious with every boy around her much to Jojo's chagrin. Jojo and Clarissa were sitting in the corner, music pounding in their ears, bored. Then as if on impulse Clarissa turned to Jojo and asked, "Wanna dance?"

Jojo was taken by surprise at first but he didn't wee the harm in doing so. They swayed their bodies to the music dancing closer to each other until they had their arms around each other and their foreheads were resting on each other. Clarissa looked into Jojo's eyes. There was that passion again. Only this time it was pulling her in. One of Jojo's hands rested on the back of her neck and the other on the small of her back. Clarissa's heart was pounding to the beat of the music as she lost herself in Jojo's eyes and her soul in the music. Their lips were literally a millimeter from each other before…

"YOO-HOO! Jojo, Clarissa, come play with us!" It was Harriet. Clarissa and Jojo were reluctant to pull away, but what else could they do?

It turned out to be Spin the Bottle. As they walked towards them Jojo noticed Kayla with a beer in her hand and another boy attached to her lips. Clarissa glared at her, but Jojo felt nothing. After the moment he just had with Claire, he felt he shouldn't care, and he didn't. He knew he had developed feelings for Clarissa, but was she reciprocating those feelings or was she just caught up in the moment back on the dance floor?

You and I both know what happened when Clarissa spun the bottle. You and I both know it landed on Jojo. And you and I both know they kissed, but what you don't know is how it felt for the both of them. Clarissa felt like she would've melted if Jojo hadn't been holding her. All that passion she'd seen in his eyes was coursing through her body now. She was in love and she knew it! He was in love and _he_ knew it! But here's the obvious issue. Neither of them knew their feeling for each other, and neither one was sure they even returned these feelings.


	12. Chapter 12

It was a mixture between love, lust, pleasure, and guilt to tie it all in. On a weighing scale guilt still weighed down the other three emotions. Regardless of Kayla's showing up at the party without Jojo's knowledge and then proceeding to make out with about every male who there, he still felt like he owed it to Kayla to either come clean, stay loyal, forget anything had happened, or break up with her. With his once suppressed feelings for Claire running rampant through his mind and body, forgetting anything had happened between Clarissa and himself was not an option, and breaking up with someone you could no longer harbor feelings for seemed like the smart, responsible thing to do. Running over the options in his head, he came to a halt in his thought process when he stared into the face of the other problem. Did Clarissa have feelings for him too? With the kiss she gave him it could be she had harbored these feelings for him, but it could have just been the heat of the moment. He had to tell her. He couldn't let this go. What about that old phrase? "Love the one your with." Well, when he thought about it, Clarissa was with him through it all. He loved the one he was with.

Clarissa was elated, no, beyond elated. She was in heaven. Was it healthy to feel so good that not even drugs could give you such a high? She was sure she was in love. Her mom might have called it infatuation and her brothers may have called it lust but she just knew it had to be love. She felt like she was living in a movie and played the part of the heroine, doing the cliché thing and falling for her best friend after realizing her mistake going for the same guy the popular girl also just happened to have an interest in.

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Clarissa had never felt nervous around Jojo before, nor had she ever blushed by close, casual contact such as a brush of the arm when plopping down next to him on the bus. Now she was doing this and more. Her heart would race at the very thought of his name, she'd fumble over the simplest of sentences, be them one word sentences such as yes or no, her eyes would look everywhere but his eyes. Lord, if she looked at his eyes, her knees might just give out.

"Do you want to go to the park with me?" Jojo asked her about a week after the party.

"Uh-huh," Clarissa managed. Upon getting the hint from his eldest little sister, he'd found out that more than likely Clarissa harbored the same feelings for him as he did for her. Now all that was left was for him to the take a chance and do what she had said to do the day she'd convinced to ask Kayla who was, by the way, long gone, much to her surprise. When Clarissa had asked what had happened, he said that he had his eye on someone else. Secretly, Clarissa was doing a little happy dance in her head and wishing that "someone" was her.

They sat underneath a large oak tree overlooking the rest of the park. It wasn't overlooking a lake with a giant sunset or romantically looming moon in which they could gaze at its reflection and then stare lovingly into each other's lives like Clarissa would've imagined in a "movie-life," but then and there in that moment in time, with the chilled breeze gently blowing symbolizing a cool approaching autumn, it was perfect. Clarissa unconsciously rested her head on Jojo's shoulder and he wrapped an arm around her. Yes, it was perfect. Jojo lifted her chin to look him in the eye which, as mentioned before, she hadn't done all day. He wanted this too, and she wasn't sure if that was her crazy imaginings making her think he was staring at her with want in his eyes. As he leaned in and kissed her she was sure he wanted this too. The original plan had to just be to ask her out, and Jojo wasn't sure what fueled this but it felt right and the moment was right. They weren't at a party being forced to do this by a game. No, this was natural. Clarissa kissed him back, more than just a little contented with the situation she was in. When they broke apart they stayed like they were. Looking at the park activities below, talking and laughing until it was time to go.

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EPILOGUE

That summer Jojo, now at a new height of 5'10'', was going with his girlfriend Clarissa to a neighboring city to visit her estranged father. He hadn't known he had a daughter, and when he found out he was overjoyed. Clarissa and her mom made up, and the relationship was still rocky, but now her mother was trying to be more like a mother. Jojo's father, Mayor Mcdodd, was disappointed to learn Jojo didn't want to be mayor but one his daughters aspired to be. Who knew Heddie, at such a young age, would be interested in politics?

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Ten years later the most popular pair of singers were taking a break from their careers for a while to focus on more important matters. They sat in the house together watching T.V. snuggled up under a blanket on a couch. Clarissa was reclined against Jojo who rested a hand on her rounded stomach, and they smiled when they felt the little who kick. The soon to be grandparents, aunts, and uncles were there too. It was a get together, for none of them had seen each other in a while, having been busy working toward their happily ever afters. Now, in this moment is where I draw to a close and where I say, "They all lived happily ever after." The end.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: There has been a thought nagging in the back of my head, so I'm going to go with a gut feeling. Due to lots of positive review in this story, I'll be writing an "in-between-quel", taking place between the story and epilogue of Claire and Jojo's summer.**


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